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2023 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown: assessing the top contenders for Saturday's big race
The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (3.20 Leopardstown, Saturday) takes place this weekend and some high-class names look set to take their chance in this 1m2f Group 1. Here we go through the form of the leading contenders and produce an early verdict on who will come out on top.
King Of Steel
Form: 17-213
Strengths: The Roger Varian-trained colt has displayed a consistently high level of form this season, going down narrowly to Auguste Rodin in the Derby before running out an impressive winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The form of his Ascot success received a notable boost when the second, Continuous, bolted up in the Great Voltigeur at York and, on Racing Post Ratings, King Of Steel bettered that showing when third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last time out.
Although his recent efforts have come over a mile and a half, Saturday's mile-and-a-quarter trip could prove King Of Steel's optimum, and he is open to more improvement than most of these rivals off the back of just five career starts.
Weaknesses: He tends to race a little keenly in the early part of his races and Varian hasn't got an overly strong record (1-15) with his runners in Ireland in the last five seasons.
Odds: 2-1
What they say
Tom Pennington, racing manager for Amo Racing: "I think coming back to a mile and a quarter will be of benefit to him. We've seen in those mile and a half races that he's plenty keen enough early. If they go an end-to-end gallop, I think the ten furlongs will play to his strengths."
Auguste Rodin
Form: 1-0110
Strengths: He became the 19th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double, with a half-length victory over King Of Steel preceding a length and a half success over stablemate Adelaide River.
Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the King George on the back of those victories, Auguste Rodin trailed home last of the ten-runner field, but his Epsom win – which came off the back of a similarly underwhelming run in the 2,000 Guineas – shows that he can bounce back to form quickly.
He is the main hopeful for Aidan O'Brien, who has won the last four runnings of the Irish Champion Stakes.
Weaknesses: He was beaten an awful long way out at Ascot and, even if scratching that run, dropping back to a mile and a quarter does not look an obvious plus.
Odds: 7-2
What they say
Aidan O’Brien, trainer: "He came home from Ascot well and has been fine since. If it came up soft, we wouldn't run him. His work has been brilliant, we are very happy with everything he has been doing. He's fresh and doing everything really good."
Nashwa
Form: -42132
Strengths: Claimed the third Group 1 win of her career when landing the Falmouth Stakes by an impressive five-length margin at Newmarket in July.
She has gone close stepped back up in trip in both of her subsequent runs, most recently splitting the high-class Mostahdaf and leading three-year-old Paddington in the Juddmonte International at York.
She has finished no worse than fourth in her 13-race career and looks sure to run her race once again.
Weaknesses: She concedes 3lb to the three-year-old colts and this is a relatively quick turnaround (17 days) from a tough run in the Juddmonte.
Odds: 5-1
What they say
John Gosden, joint-trainer: "Nashwa is a good filly and there was no fluke in her finishing second [at York]. She was stuck in the mud and got too far back at Goodwood but she showed her class today [August 23]. Imad [Al Sagar] was great to run her, he saw it was shaping up to be a small field and said we must support British racing, which was very brave of him."
Onesto
Form: 1207-4
Strengths: The winner of last season's Grand Prix de Paris, he subsequently finished a fine second in this race, narrowly losing out to Luxembourg.
He was below that level in subsequent runs in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Japan Cup, but he caught the eye when fourth after a 259-day break in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville last month.
That run should have blown away any cobwebs and stepping back up in trip looks an obvious plus for his chances, as does the booking of Frankie Dettori.
Weaknesses: His best form has come with some cut in the ground, so the dry forecast is a concern.
Odds: 6-1
What they say
Fabrice Chappet, trainer: "He ran very well at Leopardstown last year and is a horse who hasn't always enjoyed the best of luck, when you look back at the Jockey Club and Japan Cup, while it was bottomless in the Arc."
Al Riffa
Form: 211-22
Strengths: He came with a strong late run to land the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh last September.
He has not managed to supplement that in two starts this season but was far from disgraced on either run, most recently getting to within three-quarters of a length of the Arc favourite Ace Impact in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.
He is unlikely to have reached his ceiling on the back of just five starts and his juvenile win shows that he is capable at this level.
Weaknesses: On ratings, he needs to improve to feature should these rivals bring their A-game.
Odds: 13-2
What they say
Joseph O’Brien, trainer: "It was a great run the last day. The winner is one of the best three-year-olds in Europe and we were right in the mix with him. Hopefully the best is yet to come from him too."
How about the remainder?
Last year's winner Luxembourg took his form figures over a mile and a quarter to 11512 when chasing home Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was far from disgraced when fourth in the King George last time out and dropping back to what looks like a more suitable trip will work in his favour.
Alflaila has been supplemented by Shadwell after the powerful owners decided to skip the Juddmonte International, which they won with Mostahdaf. The improving four-year-old beta My Prospero in the Group 2 York Stakes last time and is on a five-timer for trainer Owen Burrows after a strong end to 2022.
Bay Bridge narrowly lost out to Luxembourg in the Tattersalls Gold Cup earlier this year, but he has not been seen since beating only one rival home in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. He often runs well fresh but would probably appreciate some rain.
Verdict
Top three-year-olds King Of Steel and Auguste Rodin look set to fight it out once again and the former can gain his revenge for a half-length defeat at Epsom. His tendency to race a shade keen in the early part of his races could soften him up for a fast-finishing rival, however, and Onesto looks the one to capitalise. Fabrice Chappet's colt is likely to have had this race – in which he was beaten just half a length last year – on his radar for a while and connections have snapped up Frankie Dettori for the ride.
Read these next:
Confirmed runners and riders for Saturday's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown
Who will win the 2023 Irish Champion Stakes based on previous trends?
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Published on inIrish Champions Festival
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