Irish Champions Festival: three big clashes to look forward to

The first of six top-level contests in Ireland over the weekend, this year’s Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes looks set to be another cracker, and the omens are positive for the Classic generation. Only nine renewals since 1986 have gone the way of an older filly or mare and Pearls Galore in 2022 is the only winner older than three since 2014.

Good news then for both Joseph Murphy and Aidan O’Brien as they look set to saddle January and Cercenerespectively, whilst the Karl Burke-trained Fallen Angel, although a four-year-old, cannot be ruled out based on her second behind Porta Fortuna in the race last year. Her form figures in Ireland read 112.

Unusually for a market leader of one of the weekend’s feature events, January has yet to win a race all season and has not won beyond Listed level, which was her last triumph back in August last year.

She has, however, finished second four times, three of which have been in Group One company. She most recently found the re-opposing Fallen Angel a head too good in the Prix Rothschild, but would be meeting Wathnan Racing’s filly on 2lb better terms at Leopardstown.

The aforementioned Cercene has beaten January this year; when winning the Coronation Stakes over Zarigana at Royal Ascot. She did nothing wrong when finding only Whirl too strong in testing conditions at Glorious Goodwood and looks to have a solid chance back over the mile.

Little over an hour after the Matron, we have the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes to look forward to. It has been nine years since Almanzor won the race for France and, since then, we have seen many French-trained horses contest the race, plus last year, Yoshito Yahagi’sShin Emperor got within a length of victory for Japan.

He returns this year having not been seen since a disappointing effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic, but had won the Neom Turf Cup comfortably and finished a close second in the Japan Cup prior to that. Fast ground will be key.

William Haggas’s Economics ended a run of five consecutive wins in the Irish Champion Stakes for Aidan O’Brien 12 months ago, but O’Brien looks in with a big chance of making it six from seven courtesy of favourite Delacroix.

The turn of foot he showed to win the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown was one of the highlights of the season and comes into the race off the back of second-placed effort in the Juddmonte International.

Perhaps the most intriguing contender is Zahrann, as we don’t yet know how good he could be. Azamour (2004) was the most recent horse in the colours of the late Aga Khan to win the race, but both Tarnawa and Vadeni have been placed this decade.

Zahrann has won three of his five starts, but he is arguably unlucky not to be unbeaten (he was narrowly touched off on debut and was given plenty to do at Ascot). This will be his first Group One engagement, but he is unbeaten and unexposed over a mile and a quarter and has huge promise.

The betting markets for Sunday’s Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh suggest this is between Aidan O’Brien’s Composing, who has won her past three starts (twice over course and distance) and won the Debutante Stakes in style last month, and Karl Burke’sVenetian Sun, who has been more workmanlike in her victories, but is four from four and landed the Group One Prix Morny last time out over O’Brien’s high-class colt Gstaad.

Venetian Sun is unproven over the trip but Karl Burke seems confident she will stay further and it is hard to argue with his evaluation based on the way she won over a stuff six furlongs at Royal Ascot – her dam also stayed a mile and a quarter. 

But count out Composing at your peril, who has the CV of a typical Aidan O’Brien improving juvenile, racking up wins through each grade. Encouragingly for next year’s Classics, she too should stay further than this, being out of the Australia mare Epona Plays, who stayed a mile and a quarter (and also won the Landwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh four years ago).