Jamie Lynch: Breeders' Cup track-side diary

Roger Charlton: Trainer of Dundonnell.

Timeform's Chief Correspondent Jamie Lynch is the on track at Santa Anita, and supplies the latest updates...

There's one Peruvian horse at the Breeders' Cup, and maybe only one Peruvian journalist, who sat next to me on the shuttle bus from the hotel to the track, at 6.15am, for the work morning on Wednesday. Between his pigeon English and my dodo Spanish, it was a pretty painful 'conversation' for me let alone the American reporters within earshot, but while I was ready and angling to draw a line under it, Juan Gamboa Quispe, director of Revisita de Caballos according to his card, was in no mood to give up; and why would he when we're in a magical place for a magical event?

Through papers, pens and pointing, it was established that Almudena, in the Marathon, is the Peruvian horse in question. 'Win?' I asked, with thumbs up. What Senor Quispe volleyed back was, I presume, the Spanish/Peruvian equivalent of 'If you don't buy a ticket...', or perhaps it was 'how dare you question me, you English pig', but whatever it was did the job of seeing us through the final eight minutes of the journey with lighthearted chuckles back and forth, saving me reaching for my pre-programmed default settings during my American adventure, two areas where I'm on safe ground, namely 'What d'ya think of Frankel?' and 'What d'ya think of those Real Housewives of Orange County?'

Work morning at Santa Anita. It looks disorganised, with horses everywhere on the track seemingly going in different directions, but it's clear when there's a gallop on, and, at least for the Americans, they're proper gallops, whips and all. Rather than join the media throng in and around the stands for a true critique of the work, which is generally a guessing game anyway, I took up ideal position at the very point where the horses come on and off the track, for closer inspection of their physique and well-being.

The ideal position except for one thing. Before we go on I must say that every single American I've met has been incredibly warm and helpful, but the one that parked next to me on the rail was a self-styled player, and loud with it - he might as well have had a badge that said 'I shout Get In The Hole at golf tournaments' - and each recognisable face that walked or trotted past received the full treatment.

'Hey Freddie Headn/a, how's Goldikova keeping? She sure won me a lot of cash.'

'Hey Pletcher, Toddn/a, is the power back in New York yet?'

It made me treasure my time spent next to Senor Quispe.

Anyway, here's the pitch-side report, dotting about randomly from horse to horse, but that's just the way it happened:

There are some unbelievable-looking horses around, but none less believable than Trinniberg (Sprint). I've been lucky enough to see, in the flesh, the likes of So You Think, Sakhee, Denman and Choisir, but even they didn't have the presence of Trinniberg, a shiny mass of muscle and power.

It didn't help that she had to walk past Trinniberg but, even so, Almost An Angel (Juvenile Fillies) looked weak and narrow, and Watsdachances (Juvenile Fillies Turf) was almost as unappealing. The same can't be said of Dundonnell (Juvenile Turf), who's as big and attractive as any two-year-old here and went about his exercise with zest. Later on, I grabbed a word (to shouty guy's panicked horror) with a sidling-by James Doyle, who confirmed that Dundonnell feels ready to run the race of his young life.

Atigun, the only three-year-old in the Marathon, took the eye with his well-being, despite a bite-mark on his butt (he's had it all his life, answered Mike Smith, when shouty guy enquired). There was a real gleam on the coat Coil, but his backside wasn't in the same league as The Lumber Guy's, and the bigger the better as far as thoroughbred backsides go. Both run in the Sprint.

In amongst a group of indistinct horses, looking more indistinct than most, turned out to be Game On Dude (Classic). I had expected Game On Dude to look like Trinniberg does, but herein lies the lesson of not judging books by covers. The same applies to the unprepossessing Moonlight Cloud (Mile)- the fact she didn't look that good is largely irrelevant.

The fact Shackleford (Dirt Mile) didn't look that good may be more relevant, because it's been a while since he's shown his best on the track. It's been longer still since Fast Bullet (Sprint) even raced, but he's hard fit for this weekend. There's class in the name and target of Class Included (Ladies Classic) but none in her appearance.

The rest either didn't stand out one way or another or were missed during toilet/coffee breaks. In a relaxed, open atmosphere, everybody mixes, including spectators, journalists, owners and trainers, and during one such break (coffee) I found myself face to face with legendary US trainer Bob Baffert.

What do I say to him? Default, default. 'What d'ya think of those Real Housewives of Orange County?'

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