Hughes to make Kentucky call

Niall Cronin

Richard Hughes will decide this evening whether he will go to Kentucky this weekend for the Breeders' Cup where he is due to partner Paco Boy in the Breeders' Cup Mile or stay at home in a bid to topple Paul Hanagan for the jockeys championship.

Reports emerged last night that Hughes would not be going to America this weekend, but with 12 rides today -- four more than Hanagan -- today is expected to be the most vital day of the season for both jockeys.

Hanagan was a 1/14 chance to claim the title for the first time following a double on Monday, but Hughes bounced back yesterday at Kempton with a brace of his own to narrow the gap back to just three and Hanagan is now priced up at 1/5 with Hughes 3/1.

Ryan Moore was yesterday jocked up on Richard Hannon's Paco Boy in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Saturday, but that can still be changed later in the week and was more of a housekeeping declaration rather than confirmation.

Meanwhile, in Breeders' Cup news, Goldikova has been drawn wide in stall 10 for the Breeders' Cup Mile for which Freddie Head's sensational mare is likely to go off favourite.

The wide berth is obviously a less than ideal draw for the five-year-old who raced out of 11 a year ago when winning this race for the second consecutive season.

When going in search of an incredible 12th Grade One success and third Breeders' Cup Mile, the mare will have to again overcome the wide draw as Aidan O'Brien's Beethoven is situated on the rail in stall one and Paco Boy is drawn six.

Jockey Moore has described the ground at Churchill Downs as "quicker than ideal" ahead of Arc hero Workforce's tilt at the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Moore did go on to describe the three-year-old Epsom Derby winner as "in better form than when he won the Arc", but admitted that Michael Stoute may not want to risk his stable star if there is no ease in the ground later in the week.

Workforce was yesterday drawn in stall six for the race which has only attracted eight runners.

O'Brien is Ireland's only trainer with runners at this year's Breeders' Cup meeting, all four of which will be ridden by Johnny Murtagh and below is a guide to his runners for the weekend with prices from Ladbrokes.

Friday

8.10 Breeders' Cup Marathon

Bright Horizon (Drawn 9) 6/1

8.50 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Together (Drawn 13) 5/1 2fav

Saturday

5.50 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Master Of The Hounds (Drawn 5) 7/2 fav

8.40 Breeders' Cup Mile

Beethoven (Drawn 1) 20/1