THE Irish Champions Festival was a triumph. A triumph because the two days showcased the real stars of any racing festival, which are the equine athletes. A Japanese runner in the Irish Champion Stakes added an international flavour to Leopardstown on Saturday and will hopefully encourage more foreign competition in the future. There were six Group 1 races over the two days, and it is refreshing that one trainer did not dominate them. Aidan O’Brien did land two of them, but the other four were won by different trainers.
Comer Group International Irish St Leger
This was a straightforward win for Kyprios, one of the best horses in training. He raced in second place, tracking an even pace set by stable companion, The Euphrates. Ryan Moore was aware that the pace was not strong and was keen to press on early in the home straight and made his move with half a mile to go, completing the following closing splits.
F11: 11.90s
F12: 11.50s
F13: 11.27s
F14: 12.03s
Once again, Kyprios showed that he is a stayer with a turn of foot. That gear change saw him record an FSP of 110.23% with the Race IQ Par being 104.91%. Vauban matched that speed, having raced in last place and quickened well to chase Kyprios home. He recorded a faster final three furlongs than Kyprios, but did so from much further back in the field and never landed a blow.
Final three furlong splits:
1st Kyprios: 34.90s
2nd Vauban: 34.59s
This does not suggest that Vauban should have won, as Kyprios idled in front and looked to have plenty in the tank, but it highlights Vauban’s talent and his chance in the Melbourne Cup is there for all to see.
Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes
THIS was a fiercely run race with Luxembourg setting a strong tempo, which is ideal for Auguste Rodin at this trip. Ironically, it also suited Economics, who is also a strong stayer at this trip. The final time of 2m3.20s is fast and is 5.53s under the Race IQ Par time for a race of this class at this distance at Leopardstown. This equated to a Race IQ time index score of 9.96 out of 10.
Luxembourg took the field through strong early fractions. At this trip, 12.00s furlongs would indicate an even gallop. He went much faster than that as shown below.
Luxembourg’s first half-mile splits:
F1: 14.54s
F2: 11.11s
F3: 11.64s
F4: 11.84s
This fast early tempo led to the winner recording an FSP of 99.50%, indicative of a slow finish, courtesy of that fast early tempo, which drained all the runners of resources for a fast finish and meant that the race became a severe test of stamina rather than a test of who could quicken best.
Every single runner in the race recorded slow final three-furlong splits, as they weakened on the back of the strong gallop. Economics dug deep, with his final three furlongs of 12.33s 12.23s and 12.58s being good enough to see off Auguste Rodin in a gruelling finish.
Economics will stay 12 furlongs on this evidence, but that may be for next year, as the 10-furlong Champion Stakes at Ascot is reportedly his next target.
It is worth noting that Shin Emperor (third) and Los Angeles (fourth) both shaped well in the context of a crack at the Arc de Triomphe in October, although the attritional nature of this race may well leave its mark.
Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes
THIS was a straightforward success for Porta Fortuna, who was winning her fourth Group 1 contest. The pace was steady and she got a good trip drafting behind the leaders, before using her sharp turn of foot. Porta Fortuna recorded a Finishing Speed Percentage (FSP) of 105.24%, the Race IQ par for a race of this standard at this trip at Leopardstown is 102.45%. She was able to save energy in the early part of the race for a fast finish, as could all the other horses in the race who recorded FSP’s above 100%, but none could quicken as well as the winner, who won the race by accelerating in the penultimate furlong. She recorded 11.45s with her closest rivals unable to match her speed.
Seventh furlong splits:
1st: Porta Fortuna: 11.45s
2nd: Fallen Angel: 11.89s
3rd: Soprano: 11.87s
4th: Ylang Ylang: 11.61s
The effort of Ylang Ylang is of note. She raced off the pace and was too far off the pace to land a blow in the closing stages, but she finished strongly. Her final two furlongs of 23.83s were the fastest in the race, but she got going too late to trouble the faster winner. She looks to be a horse to follow this autumn over further.
Porta Fortuna was not hard pressed to win. She can run faster than she did here, as evidenced by the Falmouth Stakes that she won at Newmarket in July. In that race, she quickened smartly, her sixth furlong recorded as being 11.18s (40.59mph) compared to her fastest furlong in the Matron of 11.45s (39.34mph). That she was able to win with a bit up her sleeve, which augurs well for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Mile, where her potent turn of foot looks sure to see her run well against the boys.
Moyglare Stud Stakes
Lake Victoria has won all three of her starts and impressed with the speed she showed here in a strongly run race. Although she is by Frankel, her dam Quiet Reflection won the Commonwealth Cup and speed seems to be her main asset.
The strong pace was courtesy of her stable companion Bedtime Story, who was the fastest in the race to reach 20mph (2.51s) and thereafter was too keen in front. By contrast, Lake Victoria was the slowest away, taking 2.82s to reach 20mph and was held up in last place.
Lake Victoria quickened from the rear, displaying a fine turn of foot. Her penultimate furlong of 11.16s was the fastest in the race and took her to the lead. She backed that up with another fastest furlong of 12.22s to win going away.
The sustained speed she showed here and when she won the Sweet Solera at Newmarket suggest that, if she drops in trip to six furlongs, she will be just as effective. The Cheveley Park Stakes may be her next race. The Race IQ data shows that she has the shortest average stride length in the race (7.18 metres), but had the highest cadence at 2.39 strides per second, which is a stride pattern more of a sprinter than a stayer.