“He has a long flight and a long time to think about the whole thing!”
Aidan O'Brien is thankful for having Christophe Soumillon in his corner this weekend, with the Belgian-born pilot set to partner a number of leading hopes from the Ballydoyle squad as O'Brien sets about chasing down his own record of 28 Group 1 victories in a single season.
The multiple French champion jockey will have to be at his very best on Friday's juvenile card after both Precise and Gstaad have been drawn widest of all ahead of their Breeders' Cup targets.
Precise will have to overcome stall thirteen if she is to follow-up her facile Fillies' Mile success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, while Gstaad, who has filled the runner-up spot in the Prix Morny, National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes on his last three starts, has been tasked with gate fourteen ahead of his run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
"Draws are draws," said O'Brien. "You don't know whether they are good or bad. Christophe will be looking at it and thinking about it. It is what it is. He has a long flight and a long time to think about the whole thing!
"It's so competitive, there are so many variables you can't control. The draw is one of them. It's a tough place to have winners.
"We knew Christophe for a long time. He's ridden for us for a long time. If you go back, he's been dipping in and dipping out. He was always retained, and I think he rode for us straight after 'the episode' a few years ago. He was always there to stand in."
Both Precise and Gstaad were in action under their regular riders on the Del Mar main track on Tuesday morning, with Soumillon expected to fly in later in the week.
"She looks like a very unique filly - something we've never had before," said O'Brien of Precise as he spoke to the press after watching the two Starspangledbanner juveniles head back towards their barns.
"What she's done, she's kept upgrading all the time. We've never had anything win the Fillies' Mile on the bridle like she did the last day. She was a little bit lazy into the dip, and Christophe could hardly get hold of her. The more relaxed she gets, the better she gets.
This is going to be tough though with her draw. She relaxes and stays. She handles fast ground, but this (he draw) adds a whole new dimension to it.
"She's going to end up with a lot of work to do, but it'll be very interesting. We're lucky to have the boys who take the chance and let them compete. We want the best horses competing."
On the chances of Gstaad, he added: "He's been unlucky not to win three Group 1's, it's just the way the year goes. He's a horse we had two or three Group 1's pencilled down for.
"I think he jumped out. Horses came out on either side of Christophe, and I think he felt that he was going to get in a cavalry charge, but he's not a keen horse. I think it was circumstances.
"You can't burn them up early. He has a few difficult things to try and work out now."
Soumillon will also have the role of guiding this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Minnie Hauk to victory from stall eight in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Sunday.
The daughter of Frankel had previously won three straight Group 1 contests in Britain before being run down late by Daryz in Europe's premier middle-distance prize and was amongst the Ballydoyle contingent to stretch their legs on the Del Mar track on Tuesday morning.
"She came out of her race well," said O'Brien.
"Even with Ryan, she'd never win very far. You never wanted to go too early on her because she does wait. She seems in good form.
"She lost a bit of weight travelling over. We always felt that this could suit her - a mile and a half on fast ground. She has a nice enough draw in eight and Christophe should be happy enough."
