Brian Meehan hoping Radiohead and Red Rocks can ride to the Breeders’ Cup challenge

Nov 4 2009 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

BRIAN MEEHAN is hoping Red Rocks and Radiohead can rise to the challenge at the Breeders’ Cup this weekend.

With Frankie Dettori on board Dar Re Mi, Red Rocks is expected to be ridden by Julien Leparoux in his bid for a second Breeders’ Cup Turf success, while Merseyside jockey Martin Dwyer will partner Norfolk Stakes winner Radiohead in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Red Rocks won the Grade One prize at Churchill Downs in 2006. And Meehan got both his charges accustomed to Saturday’s track at Santa Anita yesterday. He said: “It all went well. They did some light work on the main track and they don’t need to do a lot.

“Martin Dwyer will ride Radiohead at the weekend and we’re hoping to get Julien Leparoux to ride Red Rocks. The Cumberland Lodge will have put Red Rocks straight as he needed the run.

“He was very heavy that day and was carrying condition. He blew up in the closing stages and if he hadn’t, I think he would have bolted up.

“He’s coming here a fresh horse, which might give him an advantage with the horses that ran in the Arc. The two-year-old travelled particularly well. The trip should be fine for him. He would have won the Middle Park had it been over seven furlongs. He might canter round the bend at some point this week and we might put him through the stalls as well as he’s never been in with a handler.”