from Racing Post:

AIDAN O'BRIEN emerged disappointed but undeterred after a Breeders' Cup in which Ballydoyle's highest-profile runners, notably Rip Van Winkle, Mastercraftsman and Lillie Langtry, failed to add to the success of Man Of Iron in the opening race, the Marathon.

Ironically, Man Of Iron was the only O'Brien runner to be given Lasix, after a decision was taken to change the stable's medication policy and, as a general rule, not administer the anti-bleeding drug for Breeders' Cup races.

Medication is one of several issues that O'Brien indicated would be reviewed by Coolmore's training operation in an attempt to improve the stable's Breeders' Cup record, which has been disappointing.

Man Of Iron's victory broke a losing run of six years and 28 runners since High Chaparral dead-heated for the Turf in 2003, having won the race the previous year. O'Brien's other Cup winner was Johannesburg in the 2001 Juvenile.

This year, the Ballydoyle team was made up entirely of two- and three-year-olds, and O'Brien said on Sunday: "For our three-year-olds, there are a lot of races to run in on the way to the Breeders' Cup. The workload is tough.

"They started training in the spring, when the ground was soft, worked hard and then had a summer of competitive races. They are not machines.

"We need to try to keep improving and tweaking things. We have a lot of high- class two-year-olds and we have to look at maybe giving some of them an easier time in the summer next year.

"If we have suitable older horses, that is easier because they don't start training as early. We also need to have another look at medication. We took the view that our horses didn't need Lasix at home and we would run them the natural way over here, but perhaps there is a case for doing as the Romans do when in Rome."

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