Aidan O'Brien took no chances today and declared both Hawk Wing and High Chaparral for the Ireland The Food Island Champion Stakes. He has stressed all week that Hawk Wing is an intended runner in Saturday's Group One contest, along with Sholokhov, and his Eclipse Stakes winner has been quoted as short as 2-5 favourite ante-post.
But the trainer's string is only just emerging from the effects of illness, with his Reach For The Moon having to be scratched at the last minute from last weekend's Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh after coughing. So, in an apparent bid to prevent a repetition at Leopardstown, he also left High Chaparral in the Champion at today's final declaration stage, even though the stated target for the Derby winner is the Prix Niel at Longchamp eight days later.
Filed by James McMahon
