The hugely popular Rebel’s Romance could make history on Sunday (2 November) at Del Mar’s beachside racecourse in southern California by becoming the first horse to win the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m) for a third time.

The gelding is based at Charlie Appleby’s Newmarket stable, but his reach has been global. As well as those Breeders’ Cup triumphs – the latest being a thrilling Del Mar course-and-distance victory a year ago, his worldwide Group 1 victories include the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin in May, 2024.

William Buick, who has ridden the striking brown gelding to 16 of his 20 career triumphs, is in the hot seat again, and they have drawn gate one in the 14-runner field.

Appleby said: “I will leave it to William as to how he wants to play it. He could lead or he could sit in the box seat.

“The old boy is against younger opponents again but he’s got the experience that you can’t beat around here, and he’s in pitch-perfect shape,” he added.

Amongst those younger rivals the seven-year-old will encounter around the tight Del Mar bends is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Minnie Hauk (Christophe Soumillon) who has built her own following after her 2025 Group 1 victories in the Oaks Stakes (2405m) at Epsom, Irish Oaks (2400m) at the Curragh, and York’s Yorkshire Oaks (2371m) before succumbing by a head to Daryz in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m).

Other elite middle-distance contenders, who could further enhance the European domination of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, include Goliath (Mickael Barzalona), Wimbledon Hawkeye (Frankie Dettori) and Ethical Diamond.

The latter will be partnered for the first time by the Hong Kong-bound Dylan McMonagle, recently crowned Irish Champion Jockey after a fabulous season.

Despite drawing the widest gate and the fact that he has only won handicaps on his last two starts – admittedly high-class ones in sizzling style at Royal Ascot and York, he commands respect as a runner from the hugely successful Irish stable of Willie Mullins, better known for jumps racing excellence.

Mullins said of Ethical Diamond: “He had setbacks earlier in his career but has come right now and just keeps improving. We’ve also worked out how best to ride him.”

Two races later, the Europeans also appear to hold the strongest cards in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (1600m), especially with Buick’s mount Notable Speech, Sahlan and The Lion In Winter – the latter pair partnered by France-based superstar jockeys Barzalona and Soumillon, respectively.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf is carded as S2-1 and will be run at 5.41am (Hong Kong time) on Sunday, 2 November; the Breeders’ Cup Mile is carded as S2-3 and will be run at 7.05am (Hong Kong time).