Arc 'dream' is on for Luxembourg after Irish Champion Stakes thriller

Sunday: Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown

An Irish Champion Stakes run under a blazing autumn sky in front of a raucous Leopardstown crowd was billed as the moment of truth for Luxembourg and he delivered in spades courtesy of a vintage Ryan Moore steer.

In thwarting the Gallic challenge of fellow three-year-olds Onesto and Vadeni, who endured an amount of traffic under Christophe Soumillon, the Camelot colt not only saved his own season, but he helped to salvage something for both the Classic generation and Ballydoyle.

Put it this way, it's a long time since Aidan O'Brien had to wait until September to produce a Group 1-winning three-year-old colt.

That rare hoodoo was slayed in style when Moore coaxed his game partner home by half a length from Onesto. It made for an epic spectacle as Soumillon tried to beat a path through a wall of horses on Vadeni after challenging from the rear, and Onesto didn't lie down after taking the lead from the pacesetting Stone Age at the furlong pole.

At that stage, Moore, who had positioned Luxembourg in the middle of the field on the outside, had begun to get serious. The response from his mount, who returned at odds of 7-2, was also suitably serious.

Luxembourg found bundles for pressure to get on top with about 50 yards to run, as an appreciative Leopardstown crowd of 10,280 roared him home.

Champions: Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien with the Irish Champion Stakes trophyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

They then clapped him out of the winner's enclosure, acknowledging they had borne witness to an exceptional encounter. It's possible they were also buoyed by the prospect of what might yet be to come, as a date with destiny, and possibly Baaeed, now looms at Longchamp. Luxembourg was slashed to as low as 5-1 from as big 20-1 to follow up in France.

O'Brien, who was winning the marquee €1 million race for an 11th time and a fourth in a row, was moved by the response. He was also likely thinking of Jack de Bromhead's tragic death six days earlier when he faced the press.

"To win a race like that, I don't think we've had an atmosphere for Flat racing in Ireland like that in a long time," he beamed.

"He got applauded as he was going out – that's very rare. But that's racing people, when things are going well everyone is up for it and when there are sad times, everyone feels it. That's the way racing people are."

Having stumbled badly before keeping on for third in the 2,000 Guineas, Luxembourg's season hit the skids days later when O'Brien was forced to rule him out of the Derby with a muscle injury.

Few were taken by the manner of his workmanlike comeback victory in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh last month, but he was merely dusting off the cobwebs.

"We felt going to the Curragh that he was only ready for a racecourse gallop but we couldn't come here unless he had a race, and that's why we were so happy with him at the Curragh," he said.

Luxembourg: Ryan Moore is led in on the Irish Champion Stakes winnerCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

"I promise, he had 20 to 30 per cent to improve from there, and you usually don't run a horse in a Group race like that. The plan was to go there, then come here and then the Arc, so that was the dream.

"All credit to the horse, we set him a fairly stiff task. And the pace was fairly solid here, so you were going to find out."

The answer was pretty emphatic, and Moore was superlative on the winner, demonstrating all of the conviction we associate with him at his best. He obviously had a pretty good idea of the ammunition he had at his disposal and he wasn't going to be a hostage to fortune.

"He did that very well," Moore said after winning the ten-furlong affair for a fourth time.

"It was a good, even and fair race. He has beaten some good three-year-olds and older horses. He put them away nicely and I think there is more to come from him.

"He always felt like he was in control of the race. Onesto was always there but I always thought I had him."

Backers of Vadeni, the 7-4 favourite, were left to rue their luck. Soumillon had only Mishriff behind early on and the decision to stick to the inside, with Colin Keane on Mishriff forcing his hand a little when closing the door three furlongs down, backfired.

They tried to weave a way through, but the Prix du Jockey Club and Eclipse hero lacked the tactical turn of foot required to extricate himself from the hole.

Soumillon was philosophical about the defeat afterwards. "When you look after at what happened, the horse had a break for two months after his big run in the Eclipse," he said.

"I knew today he was not 100 per cent fit, but the good thing is at the end of the race he was showing us he could stay a little bit longer.

"He didn't reply when I asked him like he did in Sandown, probably because he needed it a bit and the track was a bit soft. With a clearer run and more fitness, I am sure he will be able to beat them next time."

Let's hope all those who made this such a thriller will turn up at Longchamp and we'll find out. If Baaeed joins them, all the better.

Sign up here. New customers online only. Place your first bet on racing pools for a minimum of £/€5 and win or lose you will receive £/€20 Tote Credit. £/€20 Tote Credit rewarded as £/€10 redeemable against racing bets only and £/€10 redeemable against UK and Irish Placepot bets only. Tote Credit cannot be withdrawn, exchanged, or substituted and expires after seven days. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the betslip. Ten to Follow, virtual and football bets do not qualify. Totewin will be the qualifying bet when a Totewin and a Toteplace bet are struck at the same time. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org.