It has been quite the few months for the horse and his connections

Jockey Shane Foley is optimistic that Hotazhell can finish his racing career on a high note at the Breeders' Cup, after connections opted against a run on British Champions Day.

Jessica Harrington's star will travel to America following back-to-back Group One triumphs across Europe, having claimed a narrow win in Munich's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis before stunning onlookers with victory in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Hotazhell could have attempted to join an elite group as only the third horse since 2011 to claim both the Leopardstown showpiece and Ascot's Champion Stakes in a single campaign, following Almanzor in 2016 and Magical in 2019. Instead, he'll compete at Keeneland in the Breeders' Cup Turf, which has a total prize money fund of €4.5 million.

"He's never got really deep ground since his two-year-old days when winning the Futurity Trophy (at Doncaster) and he wasn't going to get that at Ascot, so it was either take on Calandagan and Ombudsman there or take our chance in America," Foley explained.

"The owners are American and are from just down the road from Keeneland so it might be a nice last hurrah."

Following the Breeders' Cup, Hotazhell is scheduled to commence his breeding duties at Haras d'Etreham in France and Widden Stud in Australia. The horse edged out Charlie Johnston's Timeforshowcasing and George Scott's Wimbledon Hawkeye in Germany at the end of July.

While few would have considered it top-tier form at the time, Hotazhell and Wimbledon Hawkeye claimed the first two spots in the Irish Champion Stakes, with the latter subsequently triumphing in the Prix Dollar in France.

"It was mad really when you think about it," Foley continued.

"Going to Germany we were thinking it might be an easier touch, but Wimbledon Hawkeye was there and the Johnston filly, who have both really franked the form.

"He's really stepped forward and I always thought he was really good as a two-year-old. He let us down a bit at three, he never ran bad, but we just couldn't get him right.

"It's great for this season to happen as it has and it would be massive for the owners to run at the Breeders' Cup."