Mekong River powers clear in Leopardstown
(Healy Racing Photos)

The Galileo colt, in first-time blinkers, bounced out smartly to lead in the mile and one Eyrefield Stakes. Heffernan asked him for more round the home turn and the pair opened up and pulled five lengths clear inside the last furlong. He hit the line six and a half lengths to the good and justified 4/6 favouritism.

Seamie Heffernan said: “He is tough. I was asked to find out a bit about him. He will be a good spin in the Group 1 at Saint-Cloud [the Criterium de Saint-Cloud].

"He is a bit lazy at home but he has improved from run to run. You’d have to be happy with him, he ran hard and fast the whole way and I’m delighted to get the leg up on these.”

Achnaha at 20/1 went past Mandatario and tried to pursue the all-the-way winner, but was never within reach.

Mekong River’s three previous wins included a maiden and two nurseries. He was awarded the maiden in the stewards room after suffering interference from Green Tag in Gowran Park.

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy

Francis Of Assisi gets the better of Big Break in Leopardstown
(Healy Racing Photos)

Seamie Heffernan again was seen to good effect bringing his mount through on the outer to nail the favourite and win by a length and a half at odds of 9/2 in this seven-furlong event. He had been 13/2 this morning so didn't go unbacked.

This brought up a Foxrock double for Aidan O’Brien and Seamie Heffernan.

"He had some very good form on soft ground, but he disappointed at the Curragh the last day as he didn't enjoy the ground. He has been working nicely and he will be back next year," Seamie Heffernan said.

Big Break, the runner up was returned at 2/1. She was two and a quarter lengths in front of 33/1 outsider Pop Art in third.

Francis Of Assisi was returning to form after finishing 18th in the Cambridgeshire on good to firm ground. Prior to that he won a six furlong maiden in Naas when the going was heavy.

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy

Blue Hussar times his challenge well in Leopardstown
(Healy Racing Photos)

Seamie Heffernan produced the son of Montjeu down the outside in the final furlong and he mowed down the three leaders to win by three parts of a length.

Screenshot, who raced prominently, came in second for Willie McCreery and Ben Curtis at 9/1, a head in front of Rousayan (9/2). The other 7/2 favourite, Streetcar To Stars, finished eighth of the 14 runners.

Seamie Heffernan reported: “He was the best horse in the race. I was told to take my time on him and he won well in the end. He is a Montjeu with a lot of ability and hopefully he will progress.”

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy

Declaration Of War at Santa Anita
(Healy Racing Photos)

In a pulsating renewal of America's richest race, Aidan O'Brien's Declaration Of War ran a huge race to be a close third in a virtual blanket finish, with Will Take Charge just denied in second as Mucho Macho Man hung on to give 50-year-old Stevens a first win in the Classic.

Ritvo, meanwhile, was becoming the first lady to train a Classic victor.

Stevens' mount moved powerfully into contention at the top of the stretch as last year's winner Fort Larned cried enough, but Will Take Charge rattled home with Declaration Of War staying on again for Joseph O'Brien and it was desperately close at the line.

Mucho Macho Man, second 12 months ago, held on by a nose and a head, to complete a fairytale for Stevens, who only returned to race-riding this year after retirement which had seen him take up acting and punditry roles.

He said: "This is a dream come true. I've always said this was the one race missing from my career. I didn't think I'd get one, and I sure didn't think it would come in 2013."

Aidan O'Brien said of Declaration Of War, who will now be retired: "It was a fantastic run, and it just goes to show how tough it is in the Classic. All credit to the lads for sending him over here.

"He jumped well. Joseph got a good position on the turn and he fought all the way to the line at the end. It was an incredible run and we are delighted.

"I thought Joseph did everything perfectly, it was a copybook ride really and the horse still kept coming and coming at the end.

"To do that on his first run on dirt was fantastic, but he is off to stud now and will make some stallion. He's one of the best-looking horses I've ever trained. He has speed, together with strength, which are great assets, as well as a fine constitution. All these things will serve him well when he takes up stallion duties."

Magician 
(Healy Racing Photos)

Ryan Moore was at his coolest as he sat towards the rear in the mile-and-a-half contest on the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, with William Buick bowling along in mid-division on John Gosden's The Fugue, enjoying a perfect passage aboard the Irish Champion Stakes heroine.

Buick appeared to have all bases covered when hitting the front from last year's winner Little Mike, and although Moore began to weave his way through on Magician he had plenty of ground to make up.

O'Brien's colt still looked to have it all to do approaching the business end, but Moore had timed it to perfection, arriving in the nick of time as the line loomed, getting up to win by half a length.

Winning the race for the fourth time, O'Brien said: "Ryan gave him a wonderful ride - a big 'well done' to everyone involved, and especially to the lads for letting me move him up to this trip.

"The week before Ascot he knocked a hind leg in the stable and the trainer had the great idea to put him in the spa. He'd almost gone through his full swim when a sparrow flew in the door and between his ears, which caused him to jump out and bruise both his front legs.

"I probably shouldn't have run him at Ascot (St James's Palace), it was one of those freak things, but when Camelot had a setback a couple of weeks ago we were able to reroute Magician to this race off his long break.

"I've had some great horses (win the race), but this one is a bit different in that he is a Classic winner over a mile. The icing on the cake is that he is by Galileo, who is the most incredible stallion I shall ever have anything to do with. Hopefully he'll come back next year."

Moore, riding his second winner of the night after Dank in the Filly & Mare Turf, was quick to pay tribute to both the winner and connections.

He said: "He's a very talented horse. I rode him at the start of the year and he was a little bit babyish but he came out and won an Irish Guineas, then he had a problem and it's a massive performance, a lot of credit has to go to the horse and obviously the staff at home.

"I had him in a lovely rhythm, nice and relaxed and I think he must be one of the best horses I've ever ridden.

"He's got an awful lot of speed, and even though we had to come wide he really picked up."

Defeat was too much for Buick - who was unlucky on The Fugue in the Filly & Mare last year - and he was in an emotional state when led back to the jockeys' room by owner Lady Lloyd Webber.

Gosden said: "It is understandable how William feels, you have got the race won and then you get caught late, but I guess that is racing.

"He did everything right, but Aidan's horse came wide and was having its first run since June, which made him difficult to assess. But I was delighted with the way my filly ran and hopefully she will come back next year."

Giovanni Boldini pictured winning at Dundalk
(Healy Racing Photos)

Bobby's Kitten set a blistering early pace and swung into the straight still with an advantage but with Ryan Moore and Giovanni Boldini in hot pursuit.

Dundalk winner Giovanni Boldini got the better of Bobby's Kitten, but Mike Smith was all the while winding Dewhurst third Outstrip up and once engaging top gear he mowed the front two down close home for a scintillating success.

More to follow..........

Declaration Of War having a gallop at Santa Anita
(Healy Racing Photos)

Given the prestigious 10-furlong Group One affair is generally run on dirt, it is no surprise European challengers have struggled to make a significant impact as they are neither bred for or have experience of tackling such underfoot conditions.

John Gosden's Raven's Pass gave the Europeans a one-two in beating O'Brien's Henrythenavigator in the 2008 renewal, although that was the year the race was run on a synthetic surface rather than dirt. Andre Fabre's Arcangues in 1993 remains the only other European-trained winner.

O'Brien's much-loved 'Iron horse' Giant's Causeway came closer than most have managed to clinching the race on dirt in 2000, going down by a neck to Tiznow, and the master of Ballydoyle believes his latest challenger has even better credentials.

An American-bred four-year-old and briefly trained in the States by Todd Pletcher last year, Declaration Of War has shown his class by claiming the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York in Europe this year.

He gave O'Brien further confidence when working on the Fibresand at Southwell recently, and pleased in a spin under former jump jockey Dean Gallagher on the Santa Anita track this morning. Joseph O'Brien watched on from aboard a pony.

The trainer said: "I was happy with everything this morning, the horses went round just to stretch their legs.

"I think Declaration Of War is different to any of the horses I've run in the Classic, as he has a different profile. We took him to Southwell two weeks ago because that surface is as close to American dirt in terms of the kickback.

"In that work he followed two Group One winners over a mile, sat in behind them and then quickened up to go clear and he was visually very impressive. We did the same before Giant's Causeway went for the Classic but he didn't pull away like this one did.

"Declaration Of War likes to get up there in behind horses and was on the heels of the two in front of him. This horse is by War Front and has Dynaformer in his pedigree and we felt he would have no problem in going back to six furlongs after he won the Queen Anne, but to show how versatile he is he ran over an open mile and a quarter and a half at York and got the trip well.

"The question on Saturday will be how he handles the kickback.

"He had a setback when he was trained in America and we did think about bringing him out for the Classic last year but decided it wouldn't have been fair on him mentally. But now he is more mentally and physically ready than before, he's got a fantastic constitution and I think he has got more speed than Giant's Causeway, who was a horse that could get lazy in his races. This horse is not (lazy).

"It will be Joseph's first ride on dirt at the Breeders' Cup and another first for him, but no one knows the horse better. He's a big powerful horse, and he has been in full work all the time this year. We've kept him busy and we are very pleased with him."

O'Brien was also positive about the chances of Magician, who steps up to a mile and a half for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester before running away with the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the three-year-old has not been seen since finishing last of nine in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

O'Brien said: "He got a knock before Ascot when he jumped out of the spa and bruised his front legs, and on reflection Ascot was a little bit too quick after what happened.

"He's been ready to run again for a good while and when we couldn't bring Camelot (now retired) we decided that we would try Magician.

"Ryan (Moore) thought he was a Derby horse when he won on him at Chester and for the mile and a half race you want a horse that has stayed a mile and a quarter well, although it is a little bit of a concern that he is drawn wide."