Irish Champion Stakes (G1)

The Irish Champion Stakes is the feature event of the weekend.

The three-year-olds

Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel vie for favoritism at around 3/1. First and second in the Derby, both were beaten when meeting older horses in the King George. Hukum and Westover had the measure of King Of Steel who ran a respectable third, beaten 4¾L with Auguste Rodin folding very quickly and virtually pulled up.

Besides Paddington, overall this classic crop has not looked great and even Paddington was beaten by the older horses at York in the International where Mostahdaf and Nashwa too had his measure when he could only manage third.

The four-year-olds

Luxemburg. In his last run in the King George at Ascot he finished fourth, beaten 8L He was ridden very forward and was tapped for toe inside the two furlong pole. He now has more in his favour than he had at Ascot, the drop in trip and better ground will help. He took the Tattersalls Gold Cup over this trip at the Curragh but was beaten by 4L by Mostahdaf in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. And, of course, let’s not forget, he won this last year.

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Nashwa ran a great race at York finishing very well and had she not been carried left the winning margin may well have been less than a length. She also won the Falmouth over a mile in July on good to firm ground.

Alfliaila is vastly improving, winning his final three runs last season, he’s only had the one outing this year. It was a winning one when taking the G2 York Stakes in July where Johnny Murtagh’s Mashoor, although finishing last, was beaten only 4L. He’d previously beaten the now-withdrawn Al Riffa by the same margin in the International Stakes at the Curragh which is a reminder of Alfliaila’s improvement in class.

Similarly, Onesta, the French challenger, has only had one outing this year when beaten only 3½L by Inspiral in the Jacques le Marois over a mile, an inadequate trip for him now. It should be remembered he finished second here last year beaten ½L by Luxemburg.

One all is the score between the three-year-olds with both trainers Aidan O’Brien and Roger Varian informing us they are both in top order and burning up the gallops, however on balance, the four-year-olds form looks a little stronger and like at York in the International, it may again be the older horses who come out on top. A slight preference is for Luxemburg over Nashwa given he’s on home turf and defending champion.

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The Matron Stakes (G1)

The Matron Stakes, the other G1 on the Leopardstown card could well go the way of Rosewell House. Dermot Weld has the hot favourite in Tahiyra and also the second favourite in Homeless Songs. Tahiyra is trading around even money and Homeless Songs at 7/1 which shows the regard the market has for Tahiyra. She took the Moyglare Stakes last year and has been very good this year, second in the 1000 Guineas (the race came too soon), she then took the Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Jim Bolger’s Clever and Cool could sneak into a place at a big price, 40/1. She’s a bit like Shaquille, she keeps missing the break but last Sunday at Tipperary in the G3 Fairy Bridge Stakes she beat Matilda Picotte (ran third in the 1000 Guineas) more cosily than the ½L margin suggests.

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Sprint Cup Stakes (Group 1)

Over at Haydock, it might be worth having an interest in The Antarctic who’s overpriced at 50/1 in the Sprint Cup. He was well beaten in the Jersey Stakes over 7f however before that on Naas Trials day over 6f in the Lacken Stakes he beat Ocean Quest who went on to run fourth to today’s race favourite Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup where she went down 2¼L. Ocean Quest was a nice 3¾L winner of the Ballyogan Stakes last week at Naas which gives a better shine to The Antartic’s chances back at 6f.

Recommendation

Irish Champion Stakes – Luxemburg 15/2 ew

Matron Stakes – Tahyira 1/1 win

Matron Stakes – Clever and Cool 40/1 ew

Sprint Cup (Haydock) – The Antarctic 50/1 ew

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