Murtagh would love to repeat last year’s Irish Champions Festival hat-trick

Johnny Murtagh has hailed the success of Irish Champions Festival weekend – but knows it might prove tough for him to emulate the three winners he saddled last year.

Two of those to taste victory 12 months ago, Rahmi and Shaool, are back again, with the former looking for a repeat in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Handicap while Shaool is in line to step up in grade for the Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes, having landed the Northfields Handicap last season.

Murtagh, who also won with Alakazi last year, said: “It’s the jewel in the crown, seven Group Ones over two days and it has congested everything, it used to be one weekend after another, but now they are all together I think it’s better.

“There’s over €5million in prize-money which is a great incentive to get everybody here. We know where the horses are now and everyone meets there, you get a lot of internationals too which is great.

“The French have had success before, the English will be strong again, the Japanese were here before, so it’s hugely important and I think the two days works really well at the best two tracks in Ireland.

“The handicaps are so competitive, the big fields work for everybody. To win one you need to be well handicapped, but at this time of year most of the runners have won a race or two along the way so they are very tight. You need something that is just chiming at this time of year. You need luck in running and a good draw.”

Looking head to Shaool’s options, he said: “I think I’ll roll the dice with Shaool and go for the Blandford. She won the handicap last year, she’s won a Listed and I thought this year she could be a Group filly but it hasn’t happened yet.

“I was happy with how she ran at Galway but the ground is important to her and she probably needs soft ground to be at her best. There’s rain around, but it does need to come down.

“Rahmi and Sindagan will both run in the Sovereign Path. I’ve booked Ryan Moore for Rahmi, who has gone from 112 after winning this last year down to 93 so I’m hoping he can reproduce again, I’m hoping he can hit it right like he did last year.

“He’s in good form and he’s very good on his day, nothing can beat him up the gallops, but we just need to get him out of the stalls so we’ve Ryan Moore for that. Ben (Coen) will ride Sindagan who is highly rated and could still be on the improve and might be better than a handicapper, but he’ll have to be.”

The lightly-raced Asakir looks a live player in the World Pool Bet With The Tote Kilternan Stakes if the rain arrives.

“Asakir has been entered a few times, but we’ve been waiting for rain that hasn’t come,” said Murtagh, speaking to Tonybet ahead of their sponsorship of Saturday’s Solonoway Stakes on the opening day at Leopardstown.

“I do hope it comes for him because with cut in the ground I think he’s a pretty decent horse. I think he’s a good stayer in the making who will only get better with time. The Kilternan looks a very good race though, he’d have to be on top form.

“Chicago Pope runs in the Bold Lad and he’s a bit like Sindagan, a tough, hardy, three-year-old but it’s tough for them against their elders. I do think he’s better than his mark but there’ll be 20-odd runners, you need to be drawn on the right side and be following the right ones. I think he’ll do well on a bit of soft ground from now until the end of the year.

“Everything I send I think has a chance, but I’ve two in the same race! Fixation and Retracement in the Northfields, and I’m telling the owners the same thing! Retracement has loads of ability, he’s lightly raced and 10 furlongs with cut is ideal. Fixation has gone up from 70 to 98 but he’s in good shape and he’s owned by a syndicate who turned an offer for him down last week as they wanted a runner this weekend, so that shows what it means.”