Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the two-day Irish Champions Festival on Saturday, where the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes is the feature contest of the afternoon.
Overseas raiders Shin Emperor from Japan, and the British-trained Anmaat and Royal Champion, will face a strong home challenge in the 1 mile 2 furlong race at 5.30pm.
Course and distance winner Delacroix
Aidan O’Brien’s Delacroix, twice a winner over course and distance at the South County Dublin track, is the current favourite for the Group 1 race. IN the absence of the injured Ryan Moore and suspended Wayne Lordan, the son of Dubawi will be the mount of Belgian rider Christophe Soumillon. The Ballydoyle handler has won the race six of the last seven years, and will be bidding for a career total thirteenth success in the contest.
Anmaat, twice a Group 1 scorer, including a win in last season’s Champion Stakes on British Champions day at Ascot for his handler Owen Burrows, is next best in the betting market. The Shadwell-owned seven-year-old will be ridden by Chris Hayes, though a horse of that age has never been successful in the race’s history.
Yoshito Yahagi’s Shin Emperor, a fast-finishing third in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes behind Economics and Auguste Rodin last season, hasn’t run since being seventh of nine in the Sheema Classic at Meydan last April. With rain forecast overnight, the soft ground may provide a challenge to the Japanese raider with the colt accustomed to a sound surface.
Murtagh bids for first Irish Champion Stakes win
The Johnny Murtagh-conditioned three-year-old son of Night Of Thunder, Zahrann, will carry the colours of the Exors of the Late H H Aga Khan, and Ben Coen will take the mount on the 113-rated colt, as he bids to give Murtagh a first win in Saturday’s feature.
White Birch, winner of last season’s Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh, and third in this year’s edition of the same race, will represent Joe Murphy and leading flat jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle in the €1.25 million race. The 121-rated grey has been absent from the racetrack since May.
The Group 2 York Stakes winner Royal Champion, from the Karl Burke yard in England, will have the assistance of Clifford Lee from the saddle, as the seven-year-old son of Shamardal runs over his optimum distance of 1 mile 2 furlongs.
Hotazhell, who last visited the winner’s circle when taking the 2024 Group 1 William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster, will bid to give Jessica Harrington a first success in the Irish Champion Stakes, while Mount Kilimanjaro, who was Group 1-placed as a juvenile and will represent the same trainer and ownership as Coral-Eclipse victor Delacroix, will likely set the pace under Ronan Whelan.
