Saturday updates: Doncaster ground quickens ahead of final British Classic of the season

Punters have begun hunting elsewhere for value in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes after hot favourite Economics was eased to 15-8 on Saturday morning.

The Group 1 contest is a fascinating billing between the upcoming star and last year's conqueror Auguste Rodin, but the pair have attracted little support ahead of the feature event at Leopardstown.

Economics has gone unbeaten this year, most recently when sweeping clear in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, and seeks to add a first Group 1 victory to his record on Saturday for William Haggas, who is bidding to break Aidan O'Brien's stranglehold on the race.

O'Brien has won the Irish Champion Stakes for the last five years, and while Auguste Rodin has remained steady at 9-4, punters have shown interest in 2022 winner Luxembourg, who has been back to 9-1 (from 10).

Ghostwriter has also been supported into 11-2 (from 5) following his third-place effort behind City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International.

The Irish Champion Stakes is one of two Group 1 offerings in Ireland on Saturday, with the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes featuring another intriguing face off between Coronation Stakes winner Porta Fortuna and Classic winner Fallen Angel.

Porta Fortuna heads the market at 5-4, but money has come in for Fallen Angel, who is now 11-4 (from 4) ahead of Ballydoyle's 13-2 shot Ylang Ylang.

Market movers

Doncaster

1.50 Bay City Roller 6-1 (from 15-2)
3.00 Poet Master 7-2 (from 4)
3.40 Jan Brueghel 7-2 (from 4)
5.25 Native Warrior 7-2 (from 9-2), Storm Star 6-1 (from 9)

Leopardstown

2.50 Fallen Angel 11-4 (from 4)
4.00 Kinesiology 3-1 (from 4)
5.45 Lady Lunette 7 (from 14)

Conditions quicken ahead of St Leger

Warm weather has resulted in quickening conditions for the the final British Classic of the season as the Betfred St Leger is due to be run on good, good to soft ground.

The Doncaster Group 1 contest will be staged on quicker ground than Friday's good to soft, good in places after sunny conditions dried out the track ahead of the feature 1m6½f race.

The straight course, on which the opening Champagne Stakes (1.50) and the Park Stakes (3.00) will be run, has also dried from good, good to soft in places to good all over.

"On the straight course we're now good, but on the round course, where the Leger is run, we're good, good to soft in places with 6.7 on the GoingStick," clerk of the course David Attwood said just before 8am.

"We had a dry day yesterday and it was a little bit warmer than we thought, so it dried back a touch. Today is also forecast to be dry and it will be mainly sunny with temperatures of 19C, going up another couple of degrees. There will still be a gentle breeze, which is now coming from the south to bring that warmer air up."

Doncaster's Saturday card is the third of the four-day festival centred around today's Group 1 staying contest, in which Aidan O'Brien fields three in a bid to win the race for the seventh time.

Illinois and Ryan Moore winning the Queen's Vase

Illinois: favourite for the St LegerCredit: Patrick McCann

Illinois heads stablemates Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square ahead of Sunway and supplement entry You Got To Me, winner of the Irish Oaks.

"It's a fantastic race, particularly with Ralph Beckett supplementing the Irish Oaks winner," Attwood added. "To have a Classic winner in the race always adds something special.

"All three of Aidan's horses have solid chances and they're high performers. They should be arriving here off the plane within the next hour, so we're just keeping an eye out for them now.

"It should be a fantastic day all round, and I think the Champagne Stakes is a brilliant way to start off the card as well."

Alongside coverage from Doncaster, ITV will also broadcast three races from Chester on Saturday afternoon. However, the focal point away from the St Leger is the racing in Ireland, where the Irish Champion Stakes (3.25) headlines a stellar card at Leopardstown.

The William Haggas-trained Economics is the star attraction in the Group 1 contest as he bids to deny Auguste Rodin back-to-back victories. The contest is preceded by another Group 1 affair in the Matron Stakes (2.50).