Economics 'ready to go' again in Champion Stakes showdown with Calandagan and Los Angeles
Economics bids to cement his status as the best three-year-old in Britain on just his sixth career start.
William Haggas has shown a sure touch with the campaigning of the giant Night Of Thunder colt, first pressing on when stepping him up from a Newbury maiden win to dominate the Dante field less than a month later, before dabbing on the brakes.
Haggas and owner Sheikh Isa passed on the temptation of supplementing Economics for the Derby, giving their burgeoning star time to develop before embarking on an autumn campaign that has featured wins in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and the Irish Champion Stakes.
Now Economics bids to complete the same hat-trick as Almanzor in 2016, going from Deauville to Leopardstown to Ascot.
While some might have hoped for a more dominant performance against Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion, Economics showed he could get down and fight, much to his trainer's pleasure.
"Economics is a good horse and I wouldn't worry about the form in Ireland," said Haggas. "It was a very tough race and he's needed every week to come to his best for Saturday.
"Ricky Hall rides him every day and is very happy with him. His work last week was very nice but nothing strenuous, just enough to keep on top of him. He's ready to go."
Haggas has long been convinced that ease in the ground would bring further improvement from Economics, although he acknowledges that mid-October Ascot going will be a significant departure from what he has been racing on all season.
"He's won on fast ground this year and we'll see whether he copes with this easier surface," said Haggas. "I think he'll be okay because I think he's very versatile. It'll be top of the list of excuses if it all goes wrong, I suppose."
Pasquier aiming to swoop late on Calandagan
Having started the week second favourite for the Champion Stakes, Calandagan has now swapped places with long-time ante-post favourite Economics, with the market becoming ever more convinced that the International runner-up behind City Of Troy is ready to make his Group 1 breakthrough for the Aga Khan and Francis Graffard.
While Mickael Barzalona will take over as number one jockey to the Aga Khan from the beginning of next year, Stephane Pasquier retains the ride at Ascot, having been an integral part of the development of a horse who could be a bit free earlier in his career.
"Calandagan produced a fantastic finishing effort at York," said Pasquier. "I had to chase him along early on to get a position and that may have burned a little of his finishing kick, but we were beaten by the best horse in the world and there's no shame in that.
"He's capable of producing a real turn of foot, his work has been very good and he's in great form. In an ideal world I'd be able to switch him off and let him use that acceleration late."
Being drawn in stall one is probably not ideal for Calandagan, who has shown a marked preference for being held up, but Graffard and the Aga Khan team are hopeful that his talent will overcome any tactical issues.
"He’s a long-striding horse and that type being in too much traffic is never ideal, although he was in and among horses a bit at York," said racing manager Nemone Routh. "We’re very happy with his preparation, we think he’ll get through the ground and he’s clearly in good form, so now it'll just be a case of luck in running."
Arc duo Los Angeles and Continuous try again for O'Brien
Aidan O'Brien has a solitary success to his name in the Champion Stakes courtesy of 2019 heroine Magical, who was beaten ten lengths by Waldgeist in the Arc but bounced back to score at Ascot 13 days later.
On the form of his third to Bluestocking at Longchamp, Irish Derby winner Los Angeles comes here off arguably a better run than Magical, and he has seemed to take his racing well as the season has progressed.
"Los Angeles ran a fantastic race in the Arc," said O'Brien. "Ideally, we'd have preferred a lead, but nobody else was going to go on. He was just a little bit of a baby out in front, waiting for company the whole time, but he still ran a great race."
O'Brien added: "He's had a busy season but he's a big, strong colt who has been coming out of his races well all year. Hopefully we'll have him back next year, but that's something for the lads to decide."
Christophe Soumillon – who rode Los Angeles when he won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October – has been on Continuous, O'Brien's other challenger, for his last two starts.
On the first occasion he was obliged to make the running in the Prix Foy and then had his race effectively ended before halfway in the Arc.
O'Brien said: "The Arc was a bit of a non-event for him as he ran into the horse that was injured coming down the hill. Christophe said we could put a line through it. He’s had an easy season and his action suggests he'll handle the ground, even though he handles fast ground as well."
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What they say
Jim Crowley, rider of Anmaat
Longchamp was the first time he's run a bad race. We have no real excuse for that, but the race was run at a very slow tempo, which probably wouldn't have suited him. He has to take a big step up on even his best form, but he's a Group 1 winner and he likes cut in the ground.
Jean-Pierre Gauvin, trainer of Iresine
You might worry that the trip is a touch on the short side for him but the ground is the most important thing and we're lucky enough to be going over with the prospect of pretty testing conditions. He won the Prix Ganay at around this trip but that was a typical French race where they went slow early and they'll go quicker here. He seems to be in excellent form, better than ahead of the Prix Foy last time, so I'd say that race brought him on again.
Karl Burke, trainer of Royal Rhyme
He ran a big race in this last year and loves the softer ground, which is a big advantage for him. He's been running some good races on ground that wasn't ideal for him and has got another good race in him.
John Gosden, joint-trainer of Nashwa
We've decided on this over the QEII as her best form has been at a mile and a quarter in races such as the Prix de Diane, Nassau Stakes and also when she was a fast-finishing third in the Irish Champion last year.
Gary Moore, joint-trainer of Novus
She shouldn't be in the race really but it's her last run and we thought the heavy rain might just give her a chance of nicking more black type. We probably need a minor miracle for that to happen.
Harry Charlton, trainer of King's Gambit
His form has been solid all year. He was second to Jayarebe in the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot and third to Los Angeles at York. Coming back to ten furlongs after York will suit. He fully deserves his chance and I don't think he'll be far away.
Richard Hannon, trainer of Persica
This is a major step up and I'm under no illusions as to the task he faces, but he's a high-class colt and won with a fair bit in hand at Ayr last time. Stall 12 is far from ideal, but he handles soft ground and can hopefully finish in the first six to pick up some valuable prize-money.
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