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Tips and previews: Irish Champions Weekend

Updated / Saturday, 15 Sep 2018 13:55
Racing gets under way at 3.20pm
Racing gets under way at 3.20pm

3.20 Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes

Ger Lyons has had some notable success with the stallion Showcasing, and Burmese Waltz may bring him more. This one ran rock-solid races in decent maidens, including at the Foxrock track, and routed her rivals last time. She has a great deal of natural pace, and comes here quite fresh.

A different type of filly, Threthias ran a remarkable race on debut after blowing the start at Gowran and duly went three better at the Curragh, rendering her a major player here for all that she has a high draw.

Mick Channon rarely raids these shores and, as such, Gospel is noted despite a 108-day absence and the limitations of her form in winning a maiden.

Selection: Burmese Waltz 6-1 

3.50 Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Petingo' Handicap

What a cracker of a race this is, with Willie Mullins bidding to win it again and responsible for five of the field; Aidan O’Brien accounts for three. Likely one of them will snare this €150,000 race.

It is difficult to split the Mullins runners – likely even the great man would agree – with Limini dangerous off her mark, despite a hike for two seconds in Galway. A full brother to the winner of the race last year, Legal Spin gets the nod from a low draw under Leigh Roche.

The thrice-raced youngster took a backwards step last time but there were excuses – mainly the trip – and the key thing is how strong he was in the market. He was ultra-impressive at the same venue, Killarney, previously.

O’Brien’s trio have major claims. Perhaps Astronomer, on the cusp of a four-timer following recent wins at Bellewstown and Listowel, merits closest attention.

Selections: Legal Spin 10-1

 

 

4.25 Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes

Still going strong at 86, Kevin Prendergast is nothing short of a phenomenon, and commented after the course-and-yardage debut win of Madhmoon that the colt "would make it easier to get up in the mornings in the winter" – something that has never bothered this remarkable man.

The bay colt is likely to prove the best progeny of Dawn Approach in his rookie season as a stallion and there was no fluke whatever about his win over Sydney Opera House – who had the benefit of a run and who went one better since.

Broome is perhaps a bigger threat than Sydney Opera House. Also by Australia, he was underwhelming on the back of his Galway triumph at York, yet the barn's runners were a little quiet at the time. Masaff is also noted.

Selection: Madhmoon 11-8

4.55 Group 3 Paddy's Rewards Club Stakes

A trappy enough renewal of what has become a really intriguing race year by year, recent winners including Free Eagle, Fascinating Rock and Eziyra. Aidan O'Brien has a scatter of not-quite-top-class middle-distance three-year-olds, including Rostropovich, who probably merits the nod on his Irish Derby form.

Aidan O'Brien

A likeable Frankel, he has Donnacha O'Brien's assistance, and the champion rider elect will presumably make the running here on an uncomplicated colt. The chief threat may come from within, O'Brien's Giuseppe Garibaldi a solid sort himself, while The King is a little limited but certainly a danger with a true pace on the cards.

Selections: Rostropovich 15-8, The King 8-1

5.25 Group 1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes

 If Madhmoon’s victory is warmly received by Foxrock patrons, there will be something similar here after the probable victory of star filly Alpha Centauri, impossible to oppose.

For her to fail, she needs to underperform and something else needs to improve markedly, so you are effectively betting on a highly speculative double.

Safer is to back her, even at prohibitive odds, as she is streets ahead of these and thoroughly uncomplicated, be it temperamentally, tactically or ground-wise, as long as it is better than soft, which it will be.

Her four-timer has been extraordinary, one victory almost as impressive as the next. Clemmie’s campaign has been distinctly underhwhelming – the long-time Guineas favourite and first Galileo to record a Group 1 six-furlong win is without success at three – but she may be coming to hand to the extent she chases the winner home.

Selection: Alpha Centauri 1-3

6.00 Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes

Ger Lyons can strike a double on the opening day of ICW with Psychedelic Funk, who interestingly has a tongue-tie on for the first time. A really pacy sort generally tried earlier in his life at six furlongs, his mile win at Naas last term gave the lie to the notion he lacked stamina, while it was at that venue that he recorded a comfortable win on his return.

His rating of 108 gives him a stronger chance, perhaps, than is implied by odds of 10-1 and, with the likes of Kenya and Prepare For Battle in the race, a strong pace seems pretty likely, so his finishing kick and come to hand.

Selection: Psychedelic Funk 10-1

6.35 Group 1 QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes

Always a race to savour, run at a world-class track in which the elders and the three-year-olds meet, boys against the girls – ideally – and milers against the middle-trip steeds.

All the chat, or most of it and justifiably – has been about Roaring Lion, who has developed into an improving and hard-to-fault ten-furlong horse. He got the better of Saxon Warrior on the Eclipse and again in the Juddmonte International, especially impressive in the latter. So how can the one-time Derby odds-on favourite Saxon Warrior turn it around?

Firstly, there was little between them in the Eclipse, when Saxon Warrior was asked to turn around just a week after the Irish Derby. Then in the Juddmonte, the O’Brien runners were still under a cloud, and Ballydoyle can dictate the fractions here.

A compelling aspect to the race is the Deep Impact-bred French raider Study Of Man, who needs to improve to figure.

Selection: Saxon Warrior 11-4

7.10 Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Sovereign Path' Handicap

A cracker of a finale and Joe Murphy is hitting form at the right time with a view to this race. Though he has had only three winners this season, two were in the past ten days, and all of his other runners have been performing really well relative to market expectations.

Silverkode is 8lb lower than when second in this last year and he has a massive chance. He has a lovely draw, and his prep when behind another runner here, Full Moon, was next to perfect.

British raiders dominate the higher numbers here, with the first three all housed across the Irish Sea, and none is bigger than 7-1 at the time of typing – but this is far from a gimme and predictably hot. Full Moon looks really feasible up just 3lb from a smooth Curragh win, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore.

Selection: Silverkode 12-1

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