RYEDALE raider Mondialiste led the European assault on the prestigious Breeders' Cup Mile in the USA with a superb second place.

Tepin, trained by Mark Casse, was an impressive winner of the $2million Grade 1 race, shooting clear when asked by jockey Julien Leparoux having found a perfect position from which to attack.

But Mondialiste came from out of the pack to finish like a train for Nawton trainer David O'Meara and claim runner-up spot under jockey Danny Tudhope.

It followed another podium place for Ryedale at Keeneland 24 hours earlier, when Birchwood, trained by Richard Fahey, came a close-up third in the $1million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

A strong raiding party from Europe had been expected to make its mark in the Breeders' Cup Mile, but big guns such as defending champion Karakontie, Make Believe, Esoterique and Time Test never looked likely to feature.

For Mondialiste, though, it was a second consecutive strong finish in North America, having memorably won the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile in Canada in September when coming from last to first under Fergal Lynch to claim a purse of more than £330,000 and earn his win-and-you’re-in ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Saturday's rampant run saw the five-year-old son of Galileo finish two and a quarter lengths behind the winner but one and half lengths in front of third-placed Grand Arch, who had entered off a Grade 1 win at Keeneland in the Shadwell Turf Mile.

"I'm over the moon," said O'Meara. "He was struggling for a while and we got a bit short of room. But he didn't have it coming down the stretch.

"He's improving all the time and has even improved from his last run in Canada. I'm really, really pleased."

Tudhope, having ridden in the Breeders' Cup Series for the first time, said of the runner-up: "He travelled great for most of the way and everything nearly went according to plan.

"I had to wait for the gaps and he picked up incredibly well. I think the winner had the run of the race."

Ryedale's other representative at the world-famous Breeders’ Cup Series was involved in a superb finish in the Juvenile Turf.

The Godolphin-owned Birchwood - Musley Bank handler Fahey's first-ever runner at America's world championships - finished just a neck behind 5-2 favourite Airoforce, who in turn was a neck behind Hit It A Bomb.

The winner - overcoming the unfancied outside post 14 - provided a ninth Breeders’ Cup Series triumph for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, and the seventh for jockey Ryan Moore. Hit It A Bomb, on his USA debut, also made it three wins from three outings after a pair of victories in Ireland.

Ridden towards the rear of the field for much of the contest, O'Brien's colt had many lengths to make up turning into the straight.

Birchwood began to stay on well for James Doyle, but Moore was weaving his way through and once he engaged top gear there was an inevitable look to the outcome.

He got up to win narrowly but cosily, with Airoforce edging out Birchwood for second.

Fahey said of Birchwood: "We were delighted with that run and he only gave best in the last three or four strides."

Jockey Doyle said: "He hit the line well and saw the trip out better than I thought he would. I couldn't really fault him."