Owner Michael Owen has an eye on the Breeders’ Cup with Brown Panther if his horse runs well in the Canadian International at Woodbine.
The Tom Dascombe-trained six-year-old, eighth in the 2013 Melbourne Cup, gained a much deserved first Group One win in devastating style in Irish St Leger.
After the win he was redirected from Champions Day at Ascot in an attempt to add Sunday’s Canadian Group One to his record.
It will be a whistle stop tour for Owen, who will only be in Canada for a matter of hours due his commitments working as a co-commentator for BT Sport.
“I’m commentating on Manchester City v Tottenham on Saturday, fly straight out to Canada, get there about lunchtime on Sunday, watch the race and then fly back out that evening and get back for the Monday night match which I’m also working on,” Owen told Racing UK.
“I’d always hoped he’d win a Group One, but I didn’t think he’d win one by six and a half lengths. He’d obviously proven himself a very good horse a few times and now we head to Canada as one of the favourites.
“Part of the reason for going is that we are halfway there for the Breeders’ Cup and it gives us the option, should he run well, to have a tilt at that.
“It would be great for his stallion value if he could win a Group One over a mile-and-a-half (2400m) in a different country.”
Brown Panther will lock horns once more in the 10-horse field with Sir Michael Stoute’s Hillstar after beating him at Chester early in the season.
