Fabre Eyes BC Mile for Nebraska Tornado

Nebraska Tornado became a potential star for trainer Andre Fabre after his 3-year-old filly, ridden by Richard Hughes, defeated a powerful field in Sunday's $337,020 Netjets Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-I).

Fabre said he is considering the Netjets Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) next month for the daughter of Storm Cat owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah.

Nebraska Tornado stalked the leaders in the one-mile event into the straight, moved up to second and overtook Lohengrin with a furlong to go to win by a half-length. The Japanese-trained Lohengrin, ridden by Hiroki Goto, controlled the pace and stayed on for second, a length ahead of favored Bright Sky. Soviet Song was fourth. The time was 1:38.7 on a soft course.

Domedriver, last year's Breeders' Cup Mile winner, came on well to finish seventh after hitting the straight in 12th. Refuse To Bend pulled hard early before fading to 11th in the field of 14.

"It was an odd race which was run in snatches," trainer Dermot Weld told The Racing Post in describing Refuse To Bend's effort. "The colt was too keen early on and when they're like that they don't finish. Now it's the Breeders Cup Mile."

In June, Nebraska Tornado was a game winner of the Prix de Diane Hermes (Frencho Oaks) but she was well behind Domedriver and several others in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.

"I'm delighted as I know she's a top-class filly with a lot of speed – I'm not surprised or I wouldn't have run her," Fabre exclaimed. "She's a filly who has really only just come to herself as she was growing in the summer.

"The original idea was to go to Keeneland on Oct. 4 for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (gr. IT) but, as it comes quite close to the Breeders' Cup, the other option is to wait and go straight to Santa Anita. She will go for either the Mile or the Filly & Mare Turf (gr. It). She beat all the good European milers here so the Breeders' Cup Mile could be an interesting option."

"That was brilliant, said Hughes. "She's as good as Banks Hill if not better."