Benvenuto Cellini Wins Breeders Cup Turf For Aidan OBrien

Benvenuto Cellini secured victory in the Breeders Cup Turf at Keeneland to give Aidan OBrien his third winner at the meeting.

NationPulse Desk

Nov 1, 2026 · 3:33 AM 3 min read

Key takeaways

Benvenuto Cellini won the Breeders Cup Turf at Keeneland under Ryan Moore.

The victory gave trainer Aidan OBrien his third winner of the meeting.

Notable Speech finished behind Deterministic in the Breeders Cup Mile.

Blue Bolt was beaten in the Filly And Mare Turf for trainer Andrew Balding.

Big Ben delivered a perfectly timed finish in the Breeders Cup Turf at Keeneland, rescuing a tough evening for the European contingent.

Jockey Ryan Moore delivered a masterclass aboard Benvenuto Cellini, driving the talented colt through a late gap to secure an exciting victory.

The Irish Derby winner broke slowly from the starting gates and remained trapped on the inside rail for most of the contest, a poor position on a tight American course.

However, he demonstrated remarkable speed once Moore steered him away from the fence with a furlong remaining, holding off French challenger Map Of Stars to secure a third meeting winner for Aidan OBrien.

The successful rider immediately hurried to the airport to start his trip to Melbourne, while OBrien celebrated another remarkable triumph.

OBrien said, "These are special days, for us it is such a privilege to be here and be part of this team."

He added, "He was only beaten two and a half lengths by Diamond Necklace in the Arc and Ryan was very keen on him over this trip."

He continued, "She ran well in third and will probably drop down in distance next time, but the lads were always anxious for him to come here."

He stated, "He is a horse who has always had a lot of class, even as a two-year-old, he is such a beautiful mover and he loves fast ground."

He noted, "Ryan just took his time and waited for the right moment to go, he gave him a brilliant ride."

The rest of the evening proved frustrating for the large European squad, as Notable Speech narrowly missed a fairytale farewell in the Breeders Cup Mile.

He broke slowly, raced three wide along the back straight, and found himself boxed in on the final turn while attempting to make ground.

Despite a fast late charge under William Buick, he faced too much ground to make up behind leading American miler Deterministic, who hugged the rail to build an unassailable advantage heading for home.

Charlie Appleby said, "He showed all his usual class and determination right up to the wire. Fair play to the winner, he was always going to be hard to peg back."

He also said, "Of course we are leaving disappointed but he owes nobody anything, we have had a lot of fun and he has been a pleasure to train."

Andrew Balding also experienced disappointment as his search for a maiden Breeders Cup victory continued when heavy favourite Blue Bolt finished well back in the Filly And Mare Turf.

A dejected Balding said, "She got a bit agitated in the gates and we were never able to get the position we wanted."

He added, "She has been a star and it has been a long season, it might have just been a bridge too far today."

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