IF he does it the feat will be history making and history defying, and one that would leave Coolmore Godfather John Magnier on top of the world.

But the simple truth is before the event no-one knows whether City Of Troy can land Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic on the Del Mar dirt.

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For trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore ‘lads’, this is the ultimate moment of truth.

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Since the year 2000 they have tried to bag a Classic, and it has become their Holy Grail.

But despite sending sixteen horses into battle – including legendary sire Galileo, the ‘iron horse’ Giant’s Causeway, Hawk Wing, gorgeous George Washington and So You Think – they have found success elusive.

On Saturday, at 9.41pm live like every Breeders’ Cup race on Sky Sports Racing, that could all change.

On Thursday I walked into the Pacific Ocean just off the Del Mar coast dressed in my City of Troy gillet to pause and think for a moment.

Seas are, of course, associated with chaos. European turf star City Of Troy will face chaos in the Classic that he has never come close to tackling before in his illustrious, Epsom Derby-winning career.

O’Brien has looked under every stone he can to try and prepare his monster for this test of all tests.

He’s taken the son of Justify to Southwell for a day out on that track’s artificial surface. He’s sat US star Jerry Bailey down with Ryan Moore to go over every tactical scenario. He’s talked the talk and walked the walk.

Now it’s down to Troy to deliver.

Gosh I hope he does. Coolmore deserves this. How many other Europeans would take up this challenge? Not many.

Dirt racing is all about the break. About speed of the speed. City Of Troy won’t know what has hit him. But he might just do it. That’s the beauty of all this. He might just do it.

If he does, he’ll have to deny Fierceness from the Todd Pletcher yard and, incidentally, soon to become a Coolmore sire.

The son of City of Light – himself a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero – blew out in the Kentucky Derby, but around that defeat has banged in a Florida Derby and Grade 1 Travers, defeating the magnificent filly Thorpedo Anna who you will see in the Distaff.

Then there is Japanese star Forever Young, the winner of no less than six of his seven starts and a close third in the Kentucky Derby.

As a bet, I think you could do a lot worse than SIERRA LEONE who for me is a cracking each-way proposition.

Stateside people laugh at us Sierra Leone supporters. They say he’s essentially a twicer and doesn’t put it all in. Everyone has given up on Sierra Leone. Not me!

Sierra Leone is a Grade 1 winner who was third in the Travers, third in the Belmont and second in the Kentucky Derby. He’s at long odds and should get a fast pace to run at. He might just fall in.

Away from the Classic, a fabulous night of racing awaits us, and that includes a belting Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The 2000 Guineas hero Notable Speech is up against Porta Fortuna, who was runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf at Santa Anita, second in the 1000 Guineas and the winner of the Group 1 Coronation, Falmouth and Matron Stakes.

Carl Spackler is the American turfer not to ignore in the same race, while Diego Velazquez might have more to give at this trip having been dropped in distance.

I’m sticking with NOTABLE SPEECH for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, who are trying to win the Mile for a record fourth time in a row.

The Turf Sprint numbers Bradsell, Believing and Big Evs, although I wonder if filly STAR OF MYSTERY is the value eachway here.

Emily Upjohn and Frankie Dettori tackle REBEL’S ROMANCE in the Turf, a race the latter won in 2022, while Yorkshire Oaks heroine Content bids to get her season back on track in the Filly & Mare Turf.

The local hope WAR LIKE GODDESS might be hard to beat in that contest. She tackled Auguste Rodin in the Turf last year and this is much easier, although be warned she’s a quirky strong traveller that doesn’t always find.

Boy, what a day ahead in California. I just wish the ocean had all the answers. The results could yet leave me all at sea.

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Alex Pereira won’t save another UFC pay-per-view on short notice.

“Poatan” had the MMA world wondering if he would step up and headline UFC 310 on Dec. 7 after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad withdrew from a main event matchup with Shavkat Rakhmonov. The light heavyweight champion appeared to tease another quick turnaround after posting a phone emoji on social media in reaction to the Muhammad news, but MMA Fighting has learned that the fight is not being discussed for the card.

“Poatan” fought three times in 2024, defending his title with knockouts over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.— two of those on short notice—and competing on just over a month’s notice yet again has been ruled out.

The Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura clash for the UFC flyweight championship, and originally the co-main event for UFC 310, remains the top bout on the line-up at the moment.

It’s still early to pinpoint when Pereira will defend his title next. However, with UFC’s first pay-per-view card of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 18, it’s unlikely that Poatan could be part of that numbered show. UFC 312, the following pay-per-view on Feb. 8, could be an option. That event takes place in Sydney, Australia.

Ankalaev has solidified himself as the next man up for the 205-pound championship, and volunteered to face Pereira as soon as Dec. 7. The Russian fighter is currently riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak with a trio of victories against Brazilian fighters. Ankalaev won twice in 2024, stopping Johnny Walker before earning a decision over Aleksandar Rakic.

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Former Manchester United and Trinidad and Tobago striker Dwight Yorke has been appointed head coach of his home country.

Yorke, 52, won 72 caps for Trinidad and Tobago between 1989 and 2009, scoring 19 goals, and captained them at the 2006 World Cup.

He previously had a spell as his country’s assistant manager after retiring from playing in 2009.

It is Yorke’s second job as a manager, having managed Australian A-League side Macarthur during the 2022-23 season.

“I am proud and privileged to receive the honour of leading the Trinidad and Tobago national team,” said Yorke.

“The opportunity to work with this talented, close-knit group of players is something I look forward to.

“Having helped Trinidad and Tobago to the semi-finals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2000, captained the side at the 2006 World Cup and been assistant manager, my love and commitment to my national team is well documented.”

Trinidad and Tobago are currently ranked 102nd in the world.

While at Macarthur between July 2022 and January 2023, Yorke won 10 of his 19 matches, drawing three and losing the other six, and winning the Australia Cup.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Derrick Lewis thinks Jon Jones makes quick work of Stipe Miocic.

Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title against former champion Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 309 main event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Jones is a massive betting favorite over Miocic, and Lewis thinks the odds will accurately depict the outcome.

“I think Jones will beat him in the first round,” Lewis told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “It’s crazy to see a lot of people just disrespect Jones like that, like he ain’t the GOAT, for real. A lot of people keep throwing around these GOAT terms and this and that. Jones has been doing this for so many years at the top of the level against all these opponents, like top-ranked guys.

“Even though he have been having all this trouble outside of the UFC, it’s like people outside of the UFC don’t know, it’s 80 percent mental that you got to go into these fights, and it’s like 20 percent physical. If you don’t have the mentality going into these fights, you’re not going to do well. For him to be going through all that stuff that he’s been going through, and still beaten these guys like this, it says a lot.”

Heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champ Jones is currently the No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Lewis echoes Dana White’s same sentiment on the rankings.

“Of course, he’s for sure pound-for-pound (No. 1),” Lewis said. “It’s crazy how a lot of these guys keep getting (ranked) pound-for-pound and they ain’t even had that many fights. Think about my run when I had six-fight winning streak going on and they ain’t even mentioning me being in pound-for-pound.

“It’s crazy that these guys come into the UFC now, they get two or three fights, and already pass up everyone who has been fighting for years and already ranked pound-for-pound. I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s just complete disrespect.’”

Former title challenger Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) returns against Jhonata Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 (ESPN+) main card at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Enzo Fittipaldi will slide in the cockpit for an evaluation test in IndyCar machinery with Arrow McLaren later this month at The Thermal Club, the team confirmed on Friday.

The 23-year-old Miami-born Brazilian American currently competes in Formula 2 with Van Amersfoort Racing, where he currently has one win and two podiums and sits 12th in the championship standings. 

Arrow McLaren, which has already set next year’s lineup with Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, confirmed the news via a statement:

“Arrow McLaren will satisfy their allotted evaluation test with Enzo Fittipaldi at The Thermal Club on Tuesday, November 19,” the statement read. “Each lap in our cars is important as we continue preparations for the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, and we’re proud to extend this one to Enzo, whose family is so closely connected to the history of McLaren Racing.

“We’re eager to collect learnings and apply them in the form of a points race at The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix on March 23. For removal of doubt, our 2025 lineup is firm with Pato, Nolan and Christian.”

Pietro Fittipaldi, Enzo Fittipaldi in October 2023 at Sebring International Raceway.

Photo by: Dale Coyne Racing

The grandson of two-time Formula 1 World Champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, Enzo is also the brother of Pietro Fittipaldi. Pietro is a reserve driver for Haas F1 Team, who also just completed his first full-time IndyCar season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

This will mark just the second time that Enzo, the 2018 Italian Formula 4 champion, has driven an IndyCar. In October 2023, he pounded laps at Sebring International Raceway for Dale Coyne Racing, sharing the track with brother Pietro, who was testing with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at that time.

The upcoming test with Arrow McLaren is set for Nov. 19 just outside of Palm Springs, California, the venue that previously hosted the $1 Million Challenge — a non-points exhibition for the IndyCar Series — during the 2024 season. The Thermal Club will next host a championship round in North America’s premier open-wheel champion on March 23, 2025.