The big names have stood their ground for the feature races at Leopardstown on Saturday, the opening day of Irish Champions Festival and a World Pool event for all nine races on the card.
Economics, ridden for trainer William Haggas by Tom Marquand, heads the eight runners for a thrilling renewal of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes which boasts a Japanese contender for the second time with Shin Emperor, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, a first Leopardstown ride for Ryusei Sakai.
The overseas challenge is strengthened by Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter and Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme and the four-strong raiding party stand in the way of Aidan O'Brien winning the race for the sixth successive year and for the 13th time in all.
O'Brien is responsible for the remainder of the field and he calls upon his last two winners of the race, Auguste Rodin and Luxembourg, the latter also the runner-up 12 months ago. This year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby scorer Los Angeles and likely outsider Hans Andersen will also represent the champion trainer.
The first of six Group 1 races across the two-day Irish Champions Festival is the 10-runner Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes with Donnacha O'Brien’s star performer Porta Fortuna, again the mount of Tom Marquand, going in search of a third straight top-level win, and a fourth Group 1 in all. Her biggest danger appears to be old rival Fallen Angel, trained by Karl Burke, this year’s Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas winner.
Curragh trainer Willie McCreery runs both Jancis and Vespertilio in the Matron while Adrian Murray is another doubly represented by Magical Sunset and Mammas Girl. Aidan O'Brien relies on Ylang Ylang with George Boughey sending out Soprano while Ger Lyons runs Wendla with Joseph O'Brien set to saddle Rogue Millennium.
Strong hand
Diego Velazquez, winner of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes a year ago, and Mountain Bear give Aidan O'Brien a strong hand in the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes. A total of 12 horses have been declared and also in the mix are the William Haggas-trained Maljoom, Simon and Ed Chrisford’s Poker Face, Ger Lyons’s four-time Leopardstown winner Mutasarref and the Joe Murphy-trained Lord Massusus.
The Group 3 Tonybet ‘We’re Here To Play’ Stakes looks a more open contest with the William Haggas-trained Klondike perhaps a narrow favourite ahead of Dermot Weld’s Sumiha and two from the Joseph O'Brien stable, Trustyourinstinct and Thunder Roll. The 10-runner field also includes Japan’s La Familia, trained by Yoshito Yahagi.
Racing begins with the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes and Ger Lyons, twice a winner of the race in the last three years, runs his course and distance scorer Chantez. Mojave River and Nancy J put unbeaten records on the line for trainers Joseph O'Brien and Jessica Harrington while Aidan O'Brien goes with three, Bubbling, Easy Mover and Garden Of Eden. Indigo Dream, Twolatebabydoll and Unexpected Issues line out for trainers Ross O'Sullivan, Cormac Farrell and Fozzy Stack respectively with And So To Bed, another for Joseph O'Brien, completing the 10-runner field.
Four go to post for the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes with Aidan O'Brien’s Delacroix set to take on his own stable companion Bernard Shaw, the course and distance winner Green Impact, trained by Jessica Harrington, and Joseph O'Brien’s Green Triangle.
The HKJC World Pool Autumn Fillies Handicap, the day’s ninth race, is a new addition to the card and it’s 19-runner lineup includes the Julie Camacho-trained Zapphire and other recent winners Quadruple, trained by Ger Lyons, the Jessica Harrington-trained September Leaves and Joseph O'Brien’s hat-trick seeker Evening Blossom.
Ameerat Jumaira, trained by Michael Halford & Tracey Collins, the Bill Durkan-trained Eagle’s Way and Aidan O'Brien’s Chemistry are each chasing hat-tricks of their own in the earlier 23-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Handicap while another full field of 18 runners has been declared for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Handicap with Cerulean Bay, chasing a fourth-straight win for trainer David O’Meara, the Richard Fahey-trained Garfield Shadow, Julie Camacho’s Havana Blue and the Natalia Lupini-trained top-weight Dunum among those with an obvious chance of success.