Bago set for Breeders' Cup

One down and one to go. That's the message from connections of yesterday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bago.

Bago belatedly lived up to his reputation as the best three-yearold in Europe with a thrilling defeat of Cherry Mix in the Longchamp showpiece and is still on course for a clash with America's top dirt performers in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in Texas on 31 October.

Alan Cooper, spokesman for the Nashwan colt's owners, the Niarchos family, said: "We must let the horse tell us what is best for him, and therefore we need a few more days before plans are concrete, but the Breeders' Cup Classic has always been in our mind for Bago.

"We always felt he had the potential to become a very high class horse, but he was still a little green and tender when he was beaten at York in August.

"That race helped his education and thankfully we saw the real Bago in the Arc yesterday."

But followers of the Derby winner North Light may have to wait until 2005 to see Sir Michael Stoute's colt again.

However, Kieren Fallon warned punters that North Light is likely to come back better than ever next year. Fallon felt that the fast ground at Longchamp was less than ideal, but he was delighted with the way his partner battled on after Bago had taken command.