The Irish contingent will be led, as always, by a strong team from Ballydoyle.

Aidan O’Brien, who was crowned champion flat trainer in Britain last weekend, and who will be confirmed as champion trainer in Ireland for a 28th time this weekend, will have a strong hand over the two-day meeting with eight runners in six Grade 1 races.

Horses from Ballydoyle towards the top of the betting market include True Love (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint), Precise (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf), and Gstaad (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf).

25 Group 1s so far in 2025 for O’Brien

Gstaad will be joined in the Grade 1 race by his stable companions Mission Central and Brussels. O’Brien bids to add to his 25 Group 1 wins this season and edge him closer to his own world record of 28 wins at the highest level which he set back in 2017.

A disaster draw?

Precise and Gstaad have been eased in the betting for their respective @BreedersCup assignments…

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 28, 2025

Minnie Hauk, runner-up in the recent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, will contest the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday instead of the Filly and Mare Turf. The Coolmore partners will be represented in the latter named race by Bedtime Story instead. The Lion In Winter, well touted for both the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby earlier in his career, will contest the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“We have your gates back home as well.”@ScottFDTV caught up with trainer Aidan O’Brien after his horses came off the track this morning. Who’s your favorite horse that’s come over with him for this year’s @BreedersCup? pic.twitter.com/T2Xby5TDZ6

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 29, 2025

O’Brien’s sons Joseph and Donnacha will also have runners at Del Mar this weekend.

Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien compete

Joseph, a former Breeders’ Cup-winning rider, will be represented by Queen Of Hawaii in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and North Coast in the Juvenile Turf on Friday evening.

Donnacha takes three runners to California, namely Havana Anna (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint), Balantina (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf) and Atsila (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf).

Champion jumps trainer in Ireland and Britain Willie Mullins travels his Royal Ascot and Ebor hero Ethical Diamond to the Californian sunshine to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday.

Adrian Murray and Jack Davison runners

County Westmeath-based handler Adrian Murray will have two runners in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on day two of the meeting, with both Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte carrying the Amo Racing silks. Meath trainer Jack Davison has She’s Quality engaged in the same contest.

Adrian Murray’s Valiant Force has been declared for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint but the horse is currently ranked as first reserve, so the Irish trainer will be hoping one horse comes out of the race.

There will be coverage of the 2025 Breeders’ Cup from Del Mar on Virgin Media Two from 8pm on Friday, with coverage beginning on Saturday 8.30pm.

There will also be comprehensive coverage on At The Races/Sky Sports Racing.

The post 18 Irish runners at 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

‘Panorama: The Dark Side of Horse Racing’ was aired at 8:30 pm on BBC One and is available to watch on the iPlayer.

The topic that the show covered in its latest instalment – the unethical killing of racehorses – led to some people making their minds up on the programme before it had even begun.

Some lovers of horse racing chose to shine a light on the brighter side of horse racing rather than talk about the downsides that Panorama covered.

I will not be watching Panorama tonight and neither will my retired racehorse Kavi, who lives in happy semi retirement on Dartmoor #panorama pic.twitter.com/P8gCmEQf1h

— Steve (@Kavismate) July 19, 2021

One Twitter user championed his ex-racehorse Kavi, a horse trained by Simon Earle and one that took part in competitive horse racing events for 10 years of its life.

‘@Kavismate’ said that Kavi lives a “happy semi-retirement on Dartmoor”.

However, others who knew of the show chose to watch it and were not happy with what they saw.

One social media user attacked the horse racing industry and included the greyhound industry in their comment on the programme.

User ‘@Stu93375301’ believes that both racing industries are “barbaric.”

An animal rights group says footage of racehorses at an abattoir, seen in a BBC Panorama documentary, is 'inherent in the industry'. @NTBreakfast pic.twitter.com/MZc3haIgtn

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) July 20, 2021

Newstalk spoke to the founder of the Animal Rights Animal Network John Carnaby who did not watch the programme but said that the issues raised by it are “inherent in that industry.”

Several viewers defended horse racing online with these viewers choosing to declare the issue solely a problem of those that work in the abattoir that was filmed by Animal Aid.

Sky Sports’ Alex Hammond spoke of the treatment her own horse received under a post by trainer Fergal O’Brien.

She said he “lived every day like the start he was” and “was treated like a king.”

Racehorses are treated like royalty and are loved like they are one of the family, once retired and removed from a stable they are solely the responsibility of the owners and therefore whatever Panorama says this is not a ‘racing’ issue

— kevinrogers (@kevinrogers687) July 18, 2021

Another user underneath O’Brien’s post, ‘@kevinrogers687’, also said that racehorses are “treated like royalty and are loved like they are one of the family.”

Furthermore, they do not believe the topic is a racing issue when they leave the stables, instead they become the sole responsibility of the owners at that point.

Their declaration of the topic not affecting racing earned the user six likes.

The programme saw opinions divided online and the topic may continue to follow that trend.

The post BBC Panorama Horse Racing Investigation Reaction appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.