2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips and Preview
It is Champions Weekend in Ireland with two quality cards on Saturday and Sunday. Leopardstown is where it is at today and it really is a mouth-watering menu. We have five Group races (including two G1s), a Listed heat and two Premier Handicaps. Only the Irish Champion Stakes has less than 7 runners so there will be plenty of e/w betting opportunities. If you are looking for our Doncaster tips, you can find them here. Below you can check out Dave Stevos’ 2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown tips and preview…
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown: 2.00pm – Ingabelle Stakes (Listed)
The opening race on Champions Weekend is a very tricky looking Listed heat for 2yo fillies. 13 are due to line up in the stalls and A Taad Moody looks interesting from a good draw in 1. This daughter of Awtaad ran very well on debut, chasing home a talented sort at the Curragh (7f gd). It was a typically educational ride by Colin Keane and the filly will have learned an awful lot from that experience.
Keane has picked this filly over another one from the Lyons yard who has more experience. She too is a daughter of Awtaad and she will appreciate returning to better ground. However, A Taad Moody has a much more attractive pedigree and she looks bred to be effective at this level at the very minimum. Three of her half siblings have achieved RPRs of 100+, including dual Listed winner (6f and 7f) Sunny King. At odds of 9/1, A Taad Moody is the each way pick in an open looking race.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: A Taad Moody e/w @ 9/1
Leopardstown: 2.35pm – Petingo Handicap (Premier)
A maximum field of 18 go to post in this 13f handicap and I am staying loyal to Edification. We were on at tasty odds when he won at the Curragh earlier this season. The reason I fancied him that day was because of his massive run in this race in 2019. He got very little luck in running that day but he flew home for 4th when the gap came and he was only beat 1.5L at the finish. That effort came off 82, and he was off 86 when he won at the Curragh (with Gavin Ryan claiming a valuable 5lb).
Soft/yielding ground didn’t suit on his last three runs since that thrilling win. The handicapper has dropped him 3lb back to 90 and Shane Kelly takes off another 3lb. That leaves him effectively just 5lb higher than the mark off which he ran so well last year. Mark Fahey is likely to have had this race firmly in mind since the Curragh and the ground will be perfect for him. He’ll be ridden cold so luck will be required but if the gaps come at the right time he could make a mockery of his odds of 50/1.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: Edification e/w @ 50/1 NB (5 Places)
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown: 3.10pm – Matron Stakes (Group 1)
The first Group 1 on Irish Champions Weekend is the Matron Stakes for the ladies. 11 will go to post for this mile contest and it is a quality race. Fancy Blue drops back in trip after two G1 wins at 10f. The daughter of Deep Impact does have plenty of speed but she could be vulnerable. Peaceful had her measure in the Irish Guineas over 8f when she won by 2L. She was a neck behind Donnacha’s filly when they met over 10f in France and chances are they will both be there at the business end again today.
Champers Elysees has had a fantastic season and she won a G3 at Gowran last time (7f hvy). She handles any ground but the two O’Brien fillies might just have too much for her today. Albigna was a top class Juvenile but this year has not gone to plan so far. Her defeat last time on soft ground over 9f was particularly disappointing but she cannot be discounted back in trip. Things didn’t go her way on quick ground in the Guineas and she could easily bounce back to form today. I think the horses at the top of the market will dominate this race and at odds of 9/1 Albigna looks the most likely one to upset the O’Brien pair. An each way bet is advised.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: Albigna e/w @ 9/1
Leopardstown: 3.40pm – Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2)
At a double figure price, Ides Of August could be the one to be on here. Ger Lyons trains this once raced son of More Than Ready and he won very nicely over 7f at Leopardstown first time up. His trainer was complimentary of the horse afterwards, saying that he may not run again this year unless he strengthened. He must be pleasing Lyons at home if he is taking his chance here today.
The 2nd and 5th home in his debut run both won maidens since so while the form isn’t spectacular, it is pretty solid. He is nicely bred, being a full brother to Nemoralia who won the Group 3 City Of York Stakes for Jeremy Noseda in 2016. Ides Of August ran through the line very well over 7f last time so the step up to a mile should suit him. The likes of Cadillac and Van Gogh have stronger form, but at 11/1 Ger Lyons’ charge is open to any amount of improvement and he is worth chancing each way.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: Ides Of August e/w @ 11/1
Leopardstown: 4.10pm – Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)
The main event at Leopardstown on Saturday is the Irish Champion Stakes. Only 6 will go to post and the headline act is Ghaiyyath. Since returning from Dubai this horse has gone from strength to strength for Charlie Appleby. He has been relentless in his last four wins and his 3L hammering of Magical, Lord North and Kameko last time was arguably his best display yet. A rating of 131 looks more than justified and he will take some stopping here.
If you are going to take him on, Sottsass could be the one to give him most to do. This son of Siyouni was 3rd in the Arc last season and he will be a lot sharper for his first run in a couple of months at Deauville last time. He was only runner up that day in a Group 3 but the ground was heavy. This fella is much better on a sounder surface, as is evidenced by his French Derby win on good. He’ll need to improve to get near Ghaiyyath but with Colin Keane in the plate he should be capable of chasing him home. At odds of 6/1 Sottsass is worth chancing e/w.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: Sottsass e/w @ 6/1
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown: 4.45pm – Boomerang Mile (Group 2)
Century Dream heads the market for this Group 2 after his easy win last time. However, better ground may not suit him as well and he could be worth taking on. We backed Sinawann in the Irish 2000 Guineas and he was far from disgraced behind Siskin. He followed that creditable effort with a Group 3 win over today’s C&D before shaping as though 10f was a shade too far for him at the Curragh last time out.
This drop back in distance looks sure to suit, as does the return to Leopardstown. He has a win and a 2nd (in a G2) from two runs here, both over a mile and both on good ground. As a 3yo he gets a 5lb allowance from his elders and while he has it all to do on the figures with a rating of 106, he could prove to be better than that. Mick Halford has his string in good form and with Ronan Whelan in the plate Sinawann could outrun his odds of 16/1.
2020 Champions Weekend Leopardstown Tips: Sinawann e/w @ 16/1 (4 Places)
Leopardstown: 5.15pm – Paddy Power Stakes (Group 3)
The one I’ll be backing (again!) here is Fresnel for Jack Davison and Ronnie Whelan. This 4yo daughter of Sea The Stars is a horse I have followed for a long time. She should have won at least one Group race by now, her biggest missed opportunity coming in the Musidora at York last term. She has been runner up in a Listed race and last time in a G3 (both here) on two of her three starts so far this season and that G3 effort last time out was a very good one. In that race she only went down by 0.5L to Nickajack Cave
This filly will relish the nice ground at Leopardstown and she clearly acts on the track. She can be a bit of a tricky ride but Ronan Whelan gets on well with her and the first time cheekpieces could help sharpen her up. The likes of Buckhurst and Tiger Moth are obviously the ones to beat but the bookies have underestimated the chances of Fresnel and at odds of 50/1 with 4 places on offer, she is well worth chancing each way.
2020 Champions Day Leopardstown Tips: Fresnel e/w @ 50/1 (4 Places)
Leopardstown: 5.50pm – Sovereign Path Handicap (Premier)
The closing contest on Day 1 of Champions Weekend at Leopardstown is the Sovereign Path. This Premier Handicap is run over a trip of 7f and I’d love to see Geological win this for Damian English. This son of Rock Of Gibraltar never runs a bad race and he produced arguably a career best when winning over 6f at Dundalk last time. He was getting a pound from Could Be King when going down by a head at Naas and he now gets 3lb from that rival so he should be capable of turning that form around. His draw isn’t ideal but you can be sure he will be giving it his all at odds of 14/1.
The race will be a truly run one with Geological in the field and that will suit Tommy Taylor. This horse is overdue a trip to the winner’s enclosure and he has produced some super runs in defeat since moving to Jimmy Levins. He is back down to a mark of 88, the same rating off which he was a fast finishing 3rd at the Curragh back in June. Donagh O’Connor is worth every ounce of his 3lb claim and if he can chart a clear passage from stall 6 then Tommy Taylor could go very close. At odds of 22/1 with 5 places on offer, he is the e/w NAP of the day.
