Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips – DS
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips
Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, racing at Doncaster has been moved to Sunday. Hopefully the ground doesn’t dry out too much for our ante-post Leger pick. There has been plenty of rain around here in Ireland and the ground is soft at Leopardstown. It is a fast draining track though and it is dry tomorrow so I’d imagine it will be closer to yielding. Hopefully our search for a winner comes to an end, check out our Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend tips below.
1.30 – Ingabelle Stakes (listed)
Just like in the UK, we had a very dry summer and because of that, eight of the eleven runners here have yet to encounter softer than good. The bookies are finding it as hard as I am to evaluate most of these and they have put Easy in as the fav for Twomey and Lee. She won a Cork maiden (5f gd) for the Slatterys in July and the 2nd and 4th have both won modest races since. She was bought privately after that race and she now has her first start for Twomey. I always feel Kodiac’s progeny are best on better ground but her dam is by Pivotal so that increases her prospects of handling soft.
Zarinsk has form on yielding, and it is rock solid. She finished 4th in the G2 Airlie Stakes (6f yld), just 2L behind Statuette and 0.5L behind subsequent Lowther 3rd Matilda Picotte. Statuette is the most impressive 2yo I have seen this year and it’s the strongest piece of form in the race. Zarinsk did disappoint on fast ground here last time but she stumbled at the start. If she gets away more cleanly, she could be the one to beat. 9/2 is a very fair price.
Soft Ground Key?
Jim Bolger runs Clever and Cool, just three days after her winning debut at Cork. Clearly, he must rate this filly and the horse she beat in Cork was well fancied. She is by Vocalised, a sire that has produced plenty of mud lovers over the years. I would definitely be putting this filly up if it wasn’t for the likelihood of drying ground as very soft ground could be key. However, I am instead going to take a chance on one at much bigger odds.
Fine Season
Natalia Lupini has had a fine season. She has had 9 winners from 36 runners with an impressive 11 places. She had her first 2yo winner earlier this year and I think Highly Desirable could outrun her odds for her here. This filly is from a good family (Integral, Echelon) and she was very well backed on debut when a slow start and lack of experience told.
Next time at Naas (7f gd) she broke well, went to the front and 2f from home she had quite a few of them in trouble. A furlong out she gave way to the winner and runner up, but she kept on well for 3rd, nicely clear of the remainder. The winner of that race is in the G1 Fillies’ Mile. Highly Desirable was only 2.5L behind so it could well turn out to be a smart run. In a race where stakes form is thin on the ground, Highly Desirable is worth chancing for small stakes e/w.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Highly Desirable e/w @ 50/1 (4 places)
2.05 – Sovereign Path Handicap (Premier)
I was really hoping David O’Meara would send Young Fire over for this race but Rhoscolyn runs instead. He’s been knocking on the door this season. However, he went up another pound for his last near miss and he remains 10lbs above his last winning rating. If it was proper soft ground, I’d be backing Lustown Baba. She doesn’t know how to run a bad race in those conditions but if the weather forecast is right, it might not be soft enough and she also hasn’t got the best of draws in 18.
Johnny Murtagh also runs Final Voyage and he is no forlorn hope from stall 6. Yes, all five of his wins have come on the all-weather but he has had only one run on easyish ground on turf and it was a cracker. In that race in April at Cork (7f yld) Final Voyage was beat just 2L off 92. He was put away after that run and his comeback at Dundalk last month was equally as encouraging. This time he was only beat 1.75L off 92, staying on strongly close to home. The step back up to 7f will suit, the ground looks perfect and the cherry on top is that the handicapper has dropped him to 89. At odds of 20/1, Final Voyage is the each way selection.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Final Voyage e/w @ 20/1 (5 places) NAP
2.40 – Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2)
Only five runners and not a race I have a strong opinion on. I love Deep Impact as a sire and Augustin Rodin won well last time on yielding ground. He’s probably the one to beat, although I wouldn’t mind seeing Jim Bolger burst the O’Brien’s bubble with Serious Challenge. No bet.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: No Bet
3.10 – Paddy Power Stakes (Group 3)
Bluegrass is the first foal out of the magnificent sprinter Quiet Reflection. However, this colt looks to have followed more in the hoofsteps of his father as he looks like a middle distance type. He was still in the Leger up until a few days ago but I think connections were right to swerve that and drop back to 12f. He didn’t quite see it out over 14f last time and on his previous run over 10f, the way he finished off suggested that further would suit.
In that last 10f run at York in the Dante, Bluegrass got to within 5.75L of Desert Crown. A repeat of that would surely see him in the shake up here and this is his first try at what could turn out to be his optimum trip. His dam loved a bit of cut so the ground should be grand for him and he’ll have the considerable assistance of Ryan Moore in the saddle. At odds of 10/1, Bluegrass is worth chancing each way.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Bluegrass e/w @ 10/1 nb
3.45 – Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)
Vadeni heads the market in this small but stacked field after his Coral Eclipse win. Mishriff was arguably unlucky not to beat him that day and he is next best at 4/1. As a 3yo, you’d imagine that Vadeni could still have plenty more improvement to come. He should also be more at home on this easier ground. Mishriff has run twice since and has been beaten a combined total of 17.5L so he is hard to strongly fancy on the back of those efforts.
Big things were expected from Luxembourg this season after his eye-catching Guineas run. However, he had a setback and he only re-appeared in a Curragh G3 4 weeks ago. He beat a decent horse in Insinuendo by a neck and he should come on plenty for the run. I’d imagine he’ll want further in time but he might get away with 10f on this easy ground.
French Raider
The second French raider is Onesto, trained by Fabrice Chappet. She was 6.75L behind Vadeni on her last try at 10f but she landed a Longchamp G1 last time out over 12f. By Frankel, she is bred to stay and it remains to be seen if she has the required turn of foot for this test. Alenquer will appreciate the return to kinder ground after disappointing in the Eclipse. His Lingfield and Curragh wins over 10f were solid and he has the beating of Broome on the evidence of that Curragh victory. He’s an interesting outsider.
That leaves us with Stone Age. He has been campaigned on fast ground in the States since running 6th at Epsom. He absolutely hosed up in a G3 over this C&D back in May and he ran a blinder on easy ground on his final 2yo start in a Saint-Cloud G1. Stone Age hasn’t been disgraced the last twice in the Belmont and Saratoga Derbies. With a rating of 113, he wouldn’t need to improve a huge amount to trouble the likes of Mishriff (121) and Alenquer (119) in receipt of 6lbs. Bet365 are paying 3 places so at 40/1, Stone Age is worth backing e/w for small stakes.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Stone Age e/w @ 40/1 (3 places B365)
4.20 – Boomerang Mile (Group 2)
Can Boundless Ocean win his third race on the spin and his first Group 2? He has been improving with racing and Jim Bolger has kept him busy. He has already had eight runs this season and his best one was his last. In that C&D Group 3 he showed great battling qualities to fight off a late challenge from Juncture. The 3yo will be hard to pass in receipt of weight from the elder lemons in this field.
UK raider Jadoomi is rated 3lbs higher than his main market rival. He is already proven at this level after winning a Goodwood G2 last time and he is likely to take Boundless Ocean on for the lead. If those two somehow manage to cut each other’s throats, the horse that could be suited by a really strong pace over a mile is Georgville.
Ger Lyons’ son of Dawn Approach is a bit of a tripless wonder this season. His last win came here in a Listed race in October 2021 but this season he seems to be getting going too late over 9f and not quite getting home over 10f. Perhaps a strongly run race over this distance is what he needs. His last 9f run here saw him finish 4.75L behind Boundless Ocean. If this race is run to suit, hopefully he can get a lot closer and land place money at odds of 16/1.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Georgeville e/w @ 16/1
4.55 – Matron Stakes (Group 1)
Homeless Songs makes her long awaited and eagerly anticipated return in this 8f Group 1. The Irish 1000 Guineas heroine hasn’t been seen since that spectacular win so fitness must be taken on trust. She won first time up this season so it isn’t a huge concern, what is more of a worry is the quality of her main rival. Saffron Beach is rated 3lbs inferior to the fav and also has to give her 3lbs. However, she is a rock solid performer and she landed her second G1 on her last outing in France. If Homeless Songs isn’t 100%, Saffron Beach will be there to pick up the pieces.
Go Red
With a few firms paying 4 places, I am going to give Panama Red another chance here. We backed her earlier this year when she was extremely unlucky in running behind History and Agartha. She got no clear run until way too late yet she still only finished 1.5L behind Agartha (20/1 here). The way she travelled into that race up the inner was very impressive but the gaps never came.
On her last two starts at Killarney she has finished 2nd in Listed company. More aggressive tactics were employed there but I am hoping Gary Carroll drops her out and rides her with balls of steel up the inside. The same scenario could unfold as on her last run over C&D but if the gaps do materialise, Panama Red has the ability to sneak into the money. Fingers crossed for a bit of luck.
Leopardstown Irish Champions Weekend Tips: Panama Red e/w @ 50/1 (4 Places)
5.30 – Petingo Handicap (Premier)
Obviously, the widest draw in 26 isn’t ideal but even so, I can’t let Nuit St Georges go unbacked here at 50/1. Formerly trained by David Menuisier, he is now in the capable hands of Henry De Bromhead. The son of Mount Nelson has had three runs for his new yard and he is finally back down to his last winning mark. Two of his Irish runs were poor but on his penultimate start at the Curragh, Wayne Lordan did everything he could to ensure he didn’t finish too close to the winner.
On that evidence it looks like this horse was being lined up for a race and I am hoping it is today. His last three wins have come at 14f and this is his first handicap start for De Bromhead at less than 2 miles. A bit of cut in the ground is ideal and the last time he ran off 91, he hacked up by over 2L.
His last few wins have come when making all but that Curragh run showed he could be effective when held up for a late run. Unless he absolutely nails the start he won’t be making all here so hopefully Lordan drops him in and manages to avoid traffic problems. If things drop right, hopefully Nuits St Georges can stay on late and grab some place money.
