"She's a great athlete and that's why she deserved the win.”

Donnacha O'Brien's Balantina guaranteed that team Europe wouldn't leave the opening day of Breeders' Cup 2025 empty handed when she benefited from an inspired Oisin Murphy ride to land the Juvenile Fillies' Turf.

The mile juvenile contest was blow wide open when the Aidan O'Brien-trained market leader Precise ruled out due to a cough earlier in the day, but Balantina ensured the prize would still remain in the O'Brien household, putting up a professional performance under Murphy.

A decision to switch to the fence in the straight proved a fruitful one by Murphy as Balantina showed a smart turn of foot to pick up the running before battling on strongly to see off the staying on Pacific Mission, who was forced to drop in at the rear of the field under Colin Keane.

"Irad [aboard Time To Dream] broke inside me but he didn't get a great start, I was able to get up his inside on the second turn," explained Murphy. "I got on the back of Ultimate Love and when John Velazquez switched out, I was able to go up his inside.

"I had the horse for it; she's a great athlete and that's why she deserved the win."

The recently crowned three-time British champion jockey was winning at the Breeders' Cup for the second time having steered Marche Lorraine to victory in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Murphy, who suffered a troubled start to the domestic season after being found guilty of drink driving, said of the success in Del Mar: "It's a bit surreal. If she hadn't had run in Ireland, she'd have been fancied as her first three runs were excellent.

"It's really good. That's my seventh Group 1 of the year and a lot of them have come on bigger priced horses and Donnacha will be able to tell you from riding himself, that's what you work really hard for."

A winner of a Curragh maiden in May before third and second place finishes in the Albany Stakes and Prix Six Perfections, Balantina was looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance in the Alpha Centuari Stakes and was subsequently sent off a 14/1 chance.

Donnacha O'Brien added: "We've been coming here since we were babies, watching Dad (Aidan) do it year in, year out,"

"It had always been our plan to come here. We probably shouldn't have run at the Curragh, she's a low mover and it rained half an hour before the race.

"She's been training exceptionally well over the last few weeks. We came here thinking that we were over-priced and a live shot."