'What a relief' - William Haggas on a high after gutsy Economics win; Jan Brueghel edges out stablemate in St Leger
Summary
- Economics wins a thrilling Irish Champion Stakes for a "relieved" William Haggas
- It was a second Group 1 of the day for Tom Marquand, who also won the Matron on Porta Fortuna at Leopardstown
- Aidan O'Brien dominated the St Leger at Doncaster, with Jan Brueghel edging out his stablemate Illinos
- Share your thoughts on the day's racing by emailing us at liveblog@racingpost.com
Summary
- Economics wins a thrilling Irish Champion Stakes for a "relieved" William Haggas
- It was a second Group 1 of the day for Tom Marquand, who also won the Matron on Porta Fortuna at Leopardstown
- Aidan O'Brien dominated the St Leger at Doncaster, with Jan Brueghel edging out his stablemate Illinos
- Share your thoughts on the day's racing by emailing us at liveblog@racingpost.com
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A day fit for champions
A warm welcome to an enchanting Saturday, including Classic action at Doncaster and day one of the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown.
The world's oldest Classic, the Betfred St Leger (3.40), takes centre stage on Town Moor, with Aidan O'Brien fielding the first three in the market as he seeks an eighth win in the race.
There should also be potential clues for next year's Classics in the Betfred Champagne Stakes (1.50) which opens the action at Doncaster, while Group 1 winner Kinross heads the field for the Betfred Park Stakes (3.00).
Just 15 minutes before the St Leger, a high-class field will battle it out in the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (3.25) at Leopardstown in a race to savour.
Economics steps into the big league after dominating in the Dante and Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on his last two starts but faces six-time Group 1 winner Auguste Rodin, Eclipse and International Stakes third Ghostwriter and Irish Derby winner Los Angeles.
A compelling contest on a Saturday brimming with quality from the off. Enjoy the ride.
Set fair in South Yorkshire
The ground is gradually drying at Doncaster and clerk of the course David Attwood reports the going to be good, good to soft in places on the round course with temperatures set to peak at 19C on Saturday.
"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," said Attwood on Saturday morning.
"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."
The action at Doncaster starts at 1.50.
Key absentees
Lake Forest was ruled out of the Park Stakes yesterday, while Marhaba The Champ misses the 1m2f handicap at Doncaster with a bruised foot. Full list of non-runners at Donny and Leopardstown so far below . . .
Doncaster
3.00 Lake Forest
4.15 Marhaba The Champ
Leopardstown
1.10 Twolatebabydoll
4.35 Sixpack, Belgoprince
5.10 Verhoyen, Current Option, Exquisite Acclaim
Puzzle pointers
Harry Wilson tipped winners at 7-4, 4-1 and 6-1 on Friday and is back in the Cracking The Puzzle hot seat today.
He tackles every ITV race and the full Doncaster card on Leger day, and is sweet on Deira Mile in the big one. Harry writes: "There doesn't look to be a great deal between the runners and Deira Mile looks seriously underestimated. He ended his juvenile season with a fine fourth behind Ancient Wisdom in the Futurity Trophy and confirmed that promise when scoring on his first start as a three-year-old at Windsor.
"He took his form to a new level when outrunning odds of 25-1 to finishing fourth in the Derby at Epsom and although beaten on his sole start since, the tactical nature of that small field didn’t play to his strengths. He looks to be crying out for this extra distance and with a good pace assured, he could cause a minor shock."
Front two in Irish Champion 'easy to back'
Punters are nibbling at the bigger-priced runners in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (3.25), with Ghostwriter 5-1 (from 11-2), Los Angeles 6-1 (from 13-2), Luxembourg 8-1 (from 11) and Shin Emperor 11-1 (from 16-1) with Paddy Power. Economics and Auguste Rodin head the market but are apparently "easy to back".
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: "The big two in the market are proving easy enough to back at the moment and we're seeing support for a number of their rivals including Auguste Rodin's stable companions Los Angeles and Luxembourg who are by no means back numbers according to the official ratings.”
Check out our in-depth preview for more clues and view.
The key horse in the Leger
Surely Grosvenor Square holds the key to today's Betfred St Leger. He opened up a 20-length lead before he was caught close home by Tower Of London in the Curragh Cup back in July and last time out in the Irish St Leger Trial he was a 20-length winner when his rivals, including the 110-rated Absurde, couldn't get close.
"Grosvenor Square is an unusual horse in that he seems to have an awful lot of stamina but he is a very high cruiser at the same time," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "He'll go out there and make the Leger a very tough race. We've been very happy with him since he won at the Curragh."
He might not be the O'Brien number one on paper but he'll be dangerous if he opens up a similar lead today and that's a real dilemma for his rivals and their riders. Do they attempt to go with him early? If not, who will be the first to start reeling him in? And when do they make that move?
Gavin Ryan rides Grosvenor Square and it will be interesting to see just how hard he goes early.
Fighting talk from Dineen
Pricewise is willing to "take a chance" on Jancis in the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes (2.50) at Leopardstown but on The Morning Post, Johnny Dineen - never a man to sit on the fence - says he will consider retiring from the game if that one wins! Which camp are you in?
In The Know
Ross Brierley, Racing Post tipsters Graeme Rodway and Tom Segal, and Coral's Simon Clare previewed the racing on St Leger day at Doncaster last night, with some forthright views from the panel. It's well worth a watch before the action starts . . .
Champagne moment?
Owner Phil Cunningham landed the 2,000 Guineas back in 2007 with Cockney Rebel and earlier this week told me Righthere Rightnow, who carries his colours in the Betfred Champgane Stakes at Doncaster is the closest horse he's had to his Classic winner since. Incidentally, Cockney Rebel was third in the Champagne Stakes in 2006 when it was run at York, while Righthere Rightnow is a 40-1 shot for next year's Guineas.
"Of all the horses I've had since, I think this is the one who is most similar," said Cunningham. "He's similar in the way he moves and his style of running and his temperament is amazing too.
"What I did wrong with Cockney Rebel was run him in the big sales race at York before the Champagne. Righthere Rightnow was in that race too but we decided against running and to go straight to the Champagne, which is a fantastic step to where we'd like to end up next season.
"He's a horse we feel will be better at three and he has a lot more scope than some of the earlier two-year-olds we ran. He's very exciting."
Beyond today, he added: "The 2,000 Guineas is the dream. It's been a very lucky race for me and I dream of winning it again."
Pricewise's picks
Tom Segal has four selections for this afternoon's action at Doncaster and Leopardstown and is looking beyond the front of the market in the Irish Champion Stakes.
Tom wrote: "Bar a slightly below-par effort in the French Derby, Ghostwriter has run well against the best all season and he seems to have improved again on his last two runs.
"He was a close third in the Eclipse to City Of Troy and Al Riffa, who have both won Group 1s since, and ran even better in the Juddmonte International last time. Because it was a Group race many don't take account of the draw, but over 1m2f at the Ebor meeting it was a huge help being drawn low and Ghostwriter was drawn on the wide outside in stall 13.
"It took Richard Kingscote plenty of time to get Ghostwriter in from that draw and he was too keen as a result, so he did extremely well to finish third to two top-class colts with plenty of Group 1 calibre horses well behind. This doesn't look quite as strong a race and Ghostwriter has a much better draw, so don't be surprised if he causes a minor surprise."
Members' Club subscribers can find Pricewise's tips here.
Who will start favourite for the St Leger?
The Betfred St Leger is an intriguing betting race and, while it looks pretty certain that Aidan O'Brien will supply the favourite, it's not guaranteed to be ante-post favourite Illinois come the start of the world's oldest Classic.
Stablemates Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square are far stronger in the market this morning and you can find 3-1 about all three runners at the time of writing. The sponsors go 11-4 Illinois, and 3-1 about Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square.
However, William Hill can't split Illinois and Grosvenor Square at the head of the market, with Jan Brueghel snapping at their heels.
Lee Phelps from William Hill said: "Over at Doncaster in the Leger, it's all change at the head of the market with Grosvenor Square 3-1 (from 5) and now joint-favourite with Illinois. Who will start favourite for the world’s oldest Classic is anyone’s guess."
Prime minister arrives on Town Moor
By Lee Mottershead at Doncaster
Doncaster is becoming busier by the minute - and two of those to have arrived early came with a rather large entourage.
Twelve months on from the King and Queen attending St Leger day, the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and his wife, Lady Starmer, are enjoying a day at the races.
There was always a good chance Lady Starmer, a Flat racing fan with family links to Doncaster, was going to be here. It is much more surprising that her husband has made the trip given that less than 24 hours ago he was talking to Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, contemplating whether or not to allow the United Kingdom's long-range missiles on Russia.
For Doncaster and British racing, that has to be considered an extremely positive development.
Bookies fear Moore
Ryan Moore has chosen Leopardstown over Donacaster and has an enviable book of rides in Ireland. He partners fancied runners in the first three races and, along with Auguste Rodin in the Champion Stakes, punters are looking to cash in on his rides.
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “With Ryan Moore swerving a Classic ride at Doncaster today in favour of the Irish Champions Stakes Day at Leopardstown, it looks like punters are taking that as a tip in itself. They’ve been getting stuck into the Moore short-priced four-timer: Bubbling 1.10, Delacroix 1.40, Diego Velazquez 2.15 and Auguste Rodin 3.25pm."
Unlike with Paddy Power, Phelps says Economics is strong in the big race of the day in Ireland. He added: "Economics is definitely the best backed horse on the day, though, and we’ve taken significant money for him – currently a strong 9-4 shot to win the Irish Champion Stakes."
Market gets it right
The late money in the first race of the Irish Champions Festival was all for Chantez and the Leopardstown maiden winner follows up in the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
She was a little wayward in the closing stages but looks another very smart juvenile for trainer Ger Lyons. She beat Aidan O'Brien's Garden Of Eden and Bubbling, who was a handful before the start but stayed on really nicely in the closing stages and will be interesting up in trip next time.
How does the ground ride in Ireland?
After winning the opener at Leopardstown, Colin Keane said: "It's beautiful and just plain good ground."
Delacroix is the even-money favourite for the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes which is up next.
No PJ McDonald at Doncaster
PJ McDonald is off games and as a result there are a number of jockey changes at Doncaster . . .
2.25 DESERT COP - Hayley Turner
3.00 POET MASTER - Tom Eaves
4.15 LIBERTY LANE - Daniel Tudhope
4.50 MISTER WINSTON - Rossa Ryan
5:25 NATIVE WARRIOR - Gavin Ryan
'There aren't many better days out than the races in the sunshine'
By Lee Mottershead at Doncaster
Sir Keir Starmer has just provided a quote that will be exceptionally well received by British racing's leaders.
In an official comment provided shortly after the prime minister and Lady Starmer arrived at Doncaster, the prime minister said: "There aren't many better days out than the races in the sunshine, so it's a pleasure to be back in Doncaster for the historic St Leger this year. My wife has a close connection with the racecourse so the thrill of the St Leger is no stranger to us.
"Good luck to all those involved and to the thousands of racegoers enjoying their day out."
1.40 Leopardstown: full result
1. Green Impact 5-2
2. Delacroix 5-6F
Big impact
For the second time this season, Green Impact defeats Delacroix in the first Group race of the Irish Champions Festival. The winner looks very genuine and winning trainer Jessica Harrington is looking forward to getting him over 1m2f sooner rather than later.
Two races down and no joy for Moore and O'Brien so far . . .
Irish Champion Stakes tactics
Tom Marquand rides Economics in the big one in Ireland and the fact he faces three challengers from Ballydoyle is certainly on his mind.
He told Racing TV: "It's something you're very much aware of but Economics has proven to be versatile and has a lovely turn of foot. He relaxes well so it's not as if we've got anything to be super scared of with him tactics wise."