Trainer Aidan O’Brien is confident Mendelssohn’s experience on dirt will stand him in good stead for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The three-year-old is one of the favourites for the big race and can be backed at odds of 11.00.
The bay colt has endured a busy campaign so far with he and jockey Ryan Moore combining to win two races at Dundalk and Meydan.
Mendelssohn has since placed at Belmont Park and Saratoga but O’Brien believes his charge is in good condition this time around.
He struggled on a sloppy surface in the Kentucky Derby in September but the drier conditions will suit, according to O’Brien.
“Everything is good with him so far. We have to be very happy with him. He has had the experience,” said O’Brien.
“You try different things but it is a bit different for us from people training in America. We are training over here and going over so we do have to try and learn what does and doesn’t work.”
O’Brien has yet to finalise the rest of his runners but Magical and So Perfect are set to travel. He added: “Magical is going for the Turf. She came out of Ascot well so that would be good. She’d be open to improvement that filly. It will be interesting to see.
“The filly (So Perfect) was second in the Phoenix and third in the Cheveley Park. We just have to decide whether we run her in the mile for fillies or the six furlong sprint. She is a little bit up in the air.”
Accelerate remains the 4.00 favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, while McKinzie is also well fancied at odds of 6.00.
Catholic Boy and West Coast are joint in the betting at 8.00, while John Gosden’s Roaring Lion is 9.00.
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