Irish Champions Festival tips: Preview and best bets for Leopardstown on Saturday September 9
Some readers may not have been born when Frankie Dettori enjoyed his first triumph in the Kingdom of Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes aboard Swain in 1998 but, 25 years on, the Italian maestro is still the go-to man well into the autumn of his farewell campaign.
Connections of French-trained Onesto say Dettori came calling for the Leopardstown ride and the rest is history, and it’s hard to argue against the decision to turn to a man with such a strong record in the Irish Champions Festival’s Saturday highlight.
It’s eight years since he claimed his latest - and sixth - success in the race aboard Golden Horn but it’s clear Dettori is still riding with the utmost confidence and Onesto definitely has the form credentials to go close here.
His half-length second to Luxembourg in this race 12 months ago isn’t the only evidence to suggest Onesto will be a threat, last month’s comeback fourth behind Inspiral over an inadequate trip at Deauville showing the ability remains intact, and stepping back up to 10 furlongs is certain to play to his strengths.
Rapidly-drying ground might not, however, and with that in mind the best bet looks to be the fluent-moving ALFAILA, who was supplemented into the race after swerving a clash with owner-mate Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International at York.
Mostahdaf followed up his Prince of Wales’s Stakes win with a superb front-running performance at York and that’s where Alflaila advertised his improvement as a four-year-old this summer, relishing his first ever crack at the mile and a quarter trip to beat last year’s Champion Stakes third My Prospero by a cosy half-length in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes.
His trainer Owen Burrows only seems to have quality horses and has enjoyed a brilliant year already thanks to top-class victories for Hukum in the King George and Anmaat in the Prix d’Ispahan. They are the only horses he’s run at Group 1 level all year and they’ve both won, so it’s got to be a statement of intent for Burrows to be coming here.
Alflaila progressed rapidly last season, following a mediocre juvenile campaign, and really announced himself when winning a Group 3 at Newmarket 12 months ago. That was his sixth start of the year so the fact he’s only had the one spin this term and arrives here a fresh horse strongly suggests he can carry on his rise through the ranks.
He’ll be doing his best work late on the outside of the pack, looks likely to be suited to the configuration of the track at Leopardstown and is taken to get the better of three-year-olds Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, who have their own private battle on the go having met at two and twice earlier this year in the Derby at Epsom and the King George at Ascot.
Auguste Rodin has a lot to prove on the back of his latest effort, but Ballydoyle stablemate ADELAIDE RIVER looks favourably treated on his return to the fold in the Group 3 Paddy Power Stakes.
This son of Australia has proved a source of frustration since making a winning debut at Dundalk last August but he’s run in four Group 1s since then and found only one too good in two of them.
Second when defying a big price behind Auguste Rodin in the Irish Derby, he still looked a bit of a work in progress when nabbed close home by Feed The Flame in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and he’s been given plenty of time to fill his frame since then.
A dip back into Group 3 company will help and he can take full advantage of the 11lb he receives from the penalised older horse Al Aasy.
Aidan O’Brien holds the aces in the juvenile department, while the return of Dermot Weld’s flying filly Tahiyra is the big draw in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes.
Elsewhere, the Charlie Johnston-trained URBAN SPRAWL looks worth an each-way bet in the concluding “Sovereign Path” Handicap.
He is Johnston junior’s first runner in Ireland since taking the reins at Kingsley Park and is able to run off the same mark as when third to Docklands in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He wasn’t disgraced when beaten four lengths by Rhoscolyn at Goodwood last time but will be far more effective back on quick ground and is backed to mount a bold bid from the front.
- Fran Berry: Al Aasy win in 4.30 Leopardstown
- David Ord: Nashwa win in 3.20 Leopardstown
- Billy Nash: Buckaroo win in 3.55 Leopardstown
- Matt Brocklebank: Urban Sprawl each-way in 5.40 Leopardstown
