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| Staff Writer |
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Qatar Racing's New Century is primed for his upcoming Breeders' Cup assignment, with connections reporting the colt to be in fine fettle. The Andrew Balding-trained 2YO, a full brother to the record-breaking US$1,237,500 sale topper at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, is targeting glory in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on November 1.
By Tweenhills sire Kameko out of the late Potent Embrace, New Century has been turning heads since his triumphant North American debut in last month's Gr.1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine. The Qatar Racing homebred has won three of his last four outings, suggesting he's peaking at the right time.
David Redvers, racing manager for Qatar Racing, said: "New Century was bred at Tweenhills, he's by Kameko, and he's trained by Andrew—the whole story has come full circle.
"Winning (at) the Breeders' Cup is one of Sheikh Fahad's unfulfilled ambitions. To have a genuine contender in New Century gives the whole operation a huge boost."
Trainer Andrew Balding, still seeking his maiden Breeders' Cup victory, praised New Century's resilience: "He's got a great constitution and has taken everything in his stride. From traveling to Canada and winning, to preparing now for the Breeders' Cup. He's been flying at home since he arrived back from Canada.
"Del Mar is probably not the ideal track for him, but this is the Breeders' Cup—a million-dollar Grade One—and we're going for it. We'll need a bit of luck with the draw."
Balding added that the colt was a late bloomer: "When he first came into training, I wasn't wowed by him until his fifth or sixth piece of work. He's a horse that learns and improves, and he's turned into a fantastic competitor."
New Century carries the legacy of his sire Kameko, whose illustrious career included top-level victories in the 2020 Two Thousand Guineas and the 2019 Futurity Trophy. Ridden by Oisin Murphy in all his 10 races for the Balding yard, Kameko has made a promising start to his stud career, with Royal Lodge Stakes winner Wimbledon Hawkeye among his notable progeny.
Jockey Oisin Murphy, who has partnered New Century in all five starts, is no stranger to Breeders' Cup success at Del Mar, having guided Japanese-trained Marche Lorraine to victory in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Murphy shared his thoughts on New Century: "New Century is compact and has a great mind. He's not as big as Kameko, but his mentality is spot on. He's improving with every run this season.
"It's great to have a leading chance, and I hope he can give me my second Breeders' Cup victory."
Kameko, by 2004 United States champion turf male Kittens Joy, was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm. Redvers secured him for Qatar Racing at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for US$90,000, a savvy purchase that has paid dividends both on the track and in the breeding shed.