Leopardstown 'delighted' to welcome Japanese raider Shin Emperor for Irish Champion Stakes
Leopardstown chief executive Tim Husbands is thrilled at the international dimension the Japanese trained Shin Emperor will bring to Saturday's Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (3.25) after the track made strenuous efforts to entice trainer Yoshito Yahagi to bring over the three-year-old.
Shin Emperor was last seen finishing third in the Japanese Derby and will become the second Japanese horse to line up in the 1m2f Group 1 after Deirdre finished fourth in 2019 for Mitsuru Hashida.
Husbands expects the ground to be good as the Irish Champions Festival kicks off at the track on Saturday with the Irish Champion Stakes the highlight along with the Group 1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes (2.50).
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Published on inIrish Champions Festival
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- 'The feedback has been amazing but I want more people' - HRI chief Suzanne Eade reflects on Irish Champions Festival
- 'We're still in the camp of what might be' - Tom Marquand issues ominous warning to Economics' rivals
- On-course layers vote for Curragh over Leopardstown at Irish Champions Festival but figures improve all around
- Japan's Arc hope Shin Emperor was 'only 70-80 per cent ready' before barnstorming effort in Irish Champion says trainer
- 'There is only one Arc and he has a serious engine' - maybe the 50-1 about Kyprios is a price worth taking