Highland Reel wins the Breeders' Cup Turf as Frankie Dettori claims the Classic on Queen's Trust

Highland Reel has won the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita, with jockey Seamie Heffernan producing an outstanding front-running ride to claim the coveted title. The Heffernan-ridden horse came home ahead of Flintshire and Found in California, who were second and third respectively.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien was predictably thrilled with the victory. Indeed, Highland Reel's triumph was O'Brien's 22nd Group One flat race win of 2016, which puts him just three behind the all-time record of the late Bobby Frankel.

"Seamus gave him a great ride," O'Brien said after the race, according to the BBC. "Absolutely it was super."

Elsewhere at Santa Anita, Arrogate stormed past California Chrome in the closing stages to win the Classic, while Queen's Trust, ridden by Frankie Dettori, claimed victory for British trainer Sir Michael Stoute in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Dettori, 45, admitted that at one stage during the race, he had virtually given up on winning his 12th Breeders' Cup crown.

"They got the jump on me out of the home turn and, my first reaction was I'll be a good third," the popular jockey explained, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

"Then she started to motor. It's funny. It's a short straight but those last 100 yards make a big difference and she got into gear and as we flashed past the post I was pretty sure I'd won."