high hopes for invasor

By PA Sport Staff

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Kieran McLaughlin believes his Breeders' Cup Classic chance Invasor can turn over hot-favourite Bernardini at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

The four-year-old is expected to go to post as second favourite - with Stan James having shaved him a point into 5-1 - in the

5million showpiece, with Bernardini the even-money favourite.

McLaughlin is not surprised about his four-year-old's elevation by the bookmakers but believes the multiple Grade One winner may have been underestimated.

He said: "Actually, I thought we should have been made the favourite. I thought they kind of forgot about Invasor.

"In the last month it's been all Lava Man and Bernardini, so it makes me feel a little better that we're now second in the programme. But the horses don't know what their odds are when they go in the starting gate."

McLaughlin took charge of the Shadwell Stables-owned colt when he was shipped to the United States having won the Uruguayan Triple Crown as a three-year-old.

"I wasn't impressed, to be honest with you. He seemed like an ordinary horse, but he's done this since we've had him," he said, as he angled his hand in the shape of a sharp upward curve.

"He's gone from a boy to a man this year. He went to Dubai and had several months over there without a race.

"He's much more mature, he filled out and now he's a very, very powerfully built colt. He's doing everything right."

McLaughlin will also saddle Sprint favourite Henny Hughes on Saturday and is not troubled by a low draw at post four in the 14-runner race over six furlongs.

"Hopefully a couple of the speed horses outside of us clear and we'll have an opportunity to cross over their heels to the outside by the half-mile pole. That's what we've had to do every race this year," the trainer added.

"He's done everything right. He's not a right-out-type fast horse, we would rather be running at third or fourth but when you've got so many horses in there and so much going on we've had to use him a little bit earlier."

Henny Hughes is a best-priced 15-8 with totesport for tomorrow's Grade On event.