Long-time favourite Economics, Japanese raider Shin Emperor and Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin and Los Angeles are among the 12 horses standing their ground for the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on the opening day of Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday, a World Pool event for all nine races.
Bidding to become the first British-trained winner of the race since Roaring Lion in 2018, William Haggas’ Economics is set to step up to Group 1 company for the first time after back-to-back Group 2 victories at York in May and Deauville last month with the Clive Cox-trained Ghostwriter and Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme adding to the British challenge.
Dropping back to 10 furlongs after taking third place in the Japanese Derby in May, the Yoshito Yahagi-trained Shin Emperor will become the second Japanese runner in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes after Deirdre, which ran a big race behind wonder mare Magical in 2019. He will be a first ride in Ireland for 27-year-old jockey Ryusei Sakai.
A trio of French contenders also go forward to Thursday morning’s declaration stage. Zarakem and Facteur Cheval are possible runners for trainer Jerome Reynier with Metropolitan, the French 2,000 Guineas winner, still there for Mario Baratti.
Ten years on from the first of his five wins in the race on Kevin Ryan’s The Grey Gatsby, Ryan Moore will have the pick of Aidan O’Brien’s remaining team of five. Auguste Rodin gave the champion trainer his 12th win in the race a year ago and he looks a likely runner once again along with Los Angeles which backed up his Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby success at the Curragh in June with an impressive win at York last month. The other Ballydoyle contenders are the 2022 winner and last year’s runner-up Luxembourg, Continuous, and Hans Andersen.
The Royal Bahrain Jockey Club are the principal sponsors over the weekend, supported by KPMG, Coolmore America, Ballylinch Stud, Tonybet and the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool on Saturday at Leopardstown; then by Moyglare Stud, Goofs, Tattersalls, Comer Group and Bar One Racing at the Curragh on Sunday.
This is the weekend when the eyes of the racing and bloodstock worlds are trained firmly on Ireland as a global centre for the sport and the industry.
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