As the flat racing season approaches its zenith, Leopardstown prepares to host one of its most illustrious events — the Irish Champion Stakes.
Scheduled for September 14, this race is popular with those who bet on horse racing as it attracts the crème de la crème of the flat racing world, bringing together the finest thoroughbreds to compete for glory.
Renowned for its rich history and competitive fields, the Irish Champion Stakes is a highlight of the autumn.
In this article, we delve into the early favourites for the one-mile, two-furlong contest, examining their recent form and potential to triumph in what promises to be a scintillating contest at the heart of Irish racing.
City Of Troy
Champion two-year-old last year after winning all three of his starts, including the prestigious Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October, City Of Troy has put an early blip to the season behind him with back-to-back wins.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained horse was the odds-on favourite for the 2000 Guineas back in May but flattered to deceive on his seasonal reappearance when finishing ninth after getting worked up in the stalls and running out of energy in a strongly run reappearance.
City Of Troy proved his subsequent doubters wrong in the Epsom Derby, winning the grand showpiece in a thrilling performance that saw him pull clear of the field and beat his nearest rival Ambiente Friendly. He then followed up with another win in the Eclipse at Sandown in July.
At this stage, there is no guarantee that City Of Troy will line up for the Irish Champion Stakes, with options in the United States potentially the preferred out for the horse.
Auguste Rodin
While there’s no question surrounding Auguste Rodin’s ability and the legacy he will leave on the sport as a dual Derby winner, you just never know what form he is going to show up in, and that could make him very hard to back should he line up on the day.
Coolmore surprised many when they confirmed Auguste Rodin would remain in training this campaign instead of going to stud, and the four-year-old failed to justify short-price favouritism on his seasonal reappearance in the Tattersalls Gold Cup when finishing second to White Birch.
He bounced back at Royal Ascot in June, beating Zarakem by just under a length in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. However, in typical Auguste Rodin fashion, the four-year-old was lacklustre in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes last month, finishing fifth of nine runners.
Auguste Rodin’s initial end-of-season goal was the Japan Cup in November, with a run in the Irish Champion Stakes as a potential prep run. But Ballydoyle and Coolmore will likely regroup and decide what they want to do with this horse now.
White Birch
White Birch had a fantastic start to the season, taking advantage of the softer ground in April and May with three victories in a row at the Curragh.
On his seasonal reappearance, the John Murphy-trained horse won the Alleged Stakes by a neck from Maxux and followed up with a comfortable victory over Lord Massusus in the Group Mooresbridge Stakes.
The aforementioned win over Auguste Rodin in the Tattersalls Gold Cup was a career-best performance from White Birch. While he’s not been seen since after being ruled out of the Eclipse due to an adverse blood test, he could return in the Autumn and potentially cause an upset in the Irish Champion Stakes.
