Breeders' Cup Marathon: 'Attaboy, Atigun

Fame And Glory is one of two Europeans in the Marathon

Timeform look towards the Marathon, the opening race of the 2012 Breeders' Cup.

The first two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Marathon, in 2008 and 2009, were also held at Santa Anita though from a European point of view the race was hardly well named then given that the very first renewal took place over a mile and a half, not quite the stamina test that stayers on this side of the pond are used to. Despite that it was won by Muhannak, trained by Ralph Beckett, and the following year by Aidan O'Brien's Man of Iron. O'Brien is also responsible for one of the two European challengers this time around.

Fame And Glory made a seamless switch from middle-distance performer to stayer in 2011 and won both the Gold Cup and Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. He's not been in the same sort of form this season, though he did shape better than the result in the latest edition of the latter contest last month and the fitting of headgear could help bring about a revival if he takes to the dirt.

The surface is also an unknown for the Dermot Weld-trained Sense of Purpose, though apparently she was taken to Dundalk recently to see how she would cope with the polytrack surface and Weld was very pleased with her work there. As with Fame And Glory, Sense of Purpose hasn't hit the heights of last year, when she won three races including the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown. She did, however, shape as though as good as ever on her penultimate outing and does come here fresher than most having made just three appearances this term. Incidentally, her rider Pat Smullen partnered the aforementioned Muhannak to victory in that inaugural running.

The other two challengers from outside of North America are Almudena and Calidoscopio who are based in Peru and Argentinia respectively. The latter, aged nine, is the oldest in the field but he would appear to be as good as ever this season and has won twice at a mile and a half, at Grade 1 and Grade 2 level. He may prove the stronger of the pair but still has something to find if he's to come out on top here.

Canada is represented by Commander who has an impressive set of form figures, having been unbeaten in six starts this season. His wins have come at distances ranging from six furlongs to eleven furlongs and he may be found wanting for stamina here, while his form does fall short of that shown by the leading contenders.

There are also stamina doubts surrounding most of the home-trained contingent, the one notable exception being Eldaafer who won this particular contest when it was first run over a mile and three quarters at Churchill Downs in 2010. He could manage only sixth there twelve months later, but has shown himself no back number on his last two starts this term and looks set to give a good account of himself.

This trip could be a problem for Jaycito, who finished a good third over a mile here last time, though less so for Not Abroad and Worth Repeating. Not Abroad, successful at Laurel Park on his most recent outing, has shown himself effective over a mile and a half, as has Worth Repeating who won a Grade 3 event over that trip on dirt here last season and also returned to winning ways on his most recent outing.

The only three-year-old in the field is Atigun and he looks a particularly interesting contender. Although he'd shown himself smart raced around a mile previously, Atigun took his form up to another level when tried at a mile and a half in the Belmont Stakes in June, keeping on to finish two lengths third to Union Rags. Not disgraced over shorter distances since, Atigun could have more to offer now stepped back up in trip.

Recommendation:
Back Atigun @ 5.04/1 in the Breeders' Cup Marathon