Irish Champions Festival: five course specialists to note
Tom Thurgood ponders whether some course specialists will shine on a top-class double bill from Leopardstown and the Curragh this weekend for the latest instalment of the Irish Champions Festival. Don’t miss a moment live on Racing TV.
ZARINSK
Race: Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes (Group 1) : 5 Percentage of rivals beaten: 88%
Zarinsk continued her love affair with Fockrock last time and in her highest grade at Leopardstown so far, landing the rescheduled Romanised Minstrel Stakes that was originally intended to be run at The Curragh.
The Kodiac filly deserves extra credit for that success, too, given that she was drawn widest of all and showed her customary early dash under Colin Keane to tack all the way across and make all on the rail for trainer Colin Keane and owners Juddmonte.
The trainer described Zarinsk as “a queen” afterwards and she has proven one of the real high points in a season that has not quite hit the heights for her excellent yard. The three-year-old ran out a juvenile winner at the Irish Champions Festival last season and can’t be dismissed on this Group One bow given the venue.
Zarinsk has an excellent course record with three victories from five starts at Foxrock, beating 38 of 43 rivals, with her latest Leopardstown victory and at Group Two level deserving additional credit given she tacked over from the widest draw to grab the rail and make all to win.
The Kodiac filly made all to win at last year’s Irish Champions Festival and, given she is versatile regarding ground and trip, she will likely be in the shake-up once again.
SHAMIDA
Race: Paddy Power Stakes (Group 3) : 4 Percentage of rivals beaten: 91%
Shamida certainly knows her way around Leopardstown having contested four of her five career starts to date at the track, and the Aga Khan filly has beaten 42 or her 46 rivals so far and in contests all with double-figure fields.
Shamida successfully made the jump from maiden to Group Three level on her latest start at Leopardstown in July, landing the Stanerra Stakes in willing and tenacious style, and she proved how progressive she is with further success in that bracket by following up at the Curragh last time in the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh.
The Australia filly drops down to a mile and half now and a good pace will make greater use of her assured stamina at a track which she handles particularly well.
AUSSIE GIRL
Race: Irish EBF ‘Bold Lad’ Spint Handicap / Westgrave Hotel Renaissance Stakes (Group 3) : 4 Percentage of rivals beaten: 90%
This huge and imposing filly by Starspangledbanner has held her form really well this term and promises to make another bold bid at Irish Flat headquarters at the Irish Champions Festival.
Aussie Girl has come a long way in a fairly short time, running 10 times already so far after two back-end runs last year, and she has won twice and finished runner-up five times this calendar year with seven of her defeats by just a length and a half or less.
She caught the eye on her seasonal return at the Curragh when shaping better than her fourth in a warm maiden won by Honey Girl with Unless second on very testing ground, while even her latest course victory at the Irish Derby Festival was creditable, despite being on the favoured front-end, she looked to go a bit too hard but burned off her rivals and ultimately saw it out well despite understandably tiring late on.
Aussie Girl is versatile in terms of ground and trip and her two latest course runs have come in big Premier Handicaps. She’s not one to underestimate on day two of the meeting this time.
ART POWER
Race: Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes : 4 Percentage of rivals beaten: 100%
This remarkable sprinter provides no better illustration for the trusty adage of ‘horses for courses’ and bids for a brilliant five-timer at the Curragh at Group One level on Sunday.
Art Power has won eight races and five of them have been in Ireland, with that record underlined by that fact that his three remaining domestic wins have come in Newcastle and York victories – albeit impressive ones - before a Royal Ascot win in the Palace Of Holyrood Stakes off an admittedly appealing perch of 97.
It's notable that Art Power has not just won all four starts at the Curragh but dotted up in each of them – his smallest winning margin is by three lengths – while he’s done it on all types of ground and most recently over the minimum trip of five furlongs.
This assignment will be harder against a stronger British cohort, but the likeable grey will be a warm order to improve on an outstanding course record.
TUDOR CITY
Race: Irish EBF “Northfields” Handicap : 5 Percentage of rivals beaten: 86%
The evergreen 11-year-old is unsurprisingly best associated with Galway given his nine consecutive appearances at the famous festival and two Galway Hurdle triumphs, but Tudor City is yet to run a bad race at the home of Irish Flat racing and can’t be underestimated in the Irish Champions Festival finale.
Tudor City has hit the places on all five starts at the Curragh and in big handicaps with at least 16 runners, while his latest course success was in impressive style in the Apprentice Derby back in June.
Regarding that improvement in form, connections stated that Tudor City had thrived since his run last time – his first after a break – but surely his affinity for the Curragh had some sort of role to play too.
His mark of 76 isn’t a gimme by any means and he’s not improving at this stage of his career, but it’s not high enough to stop him from running well either and after disappointing in the Galway Hurdle last time he could reward each-way support at likely generous odds.
