The William Haggas-trained Economics added to his burgeoning profile by dethroning Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion (G1), one of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge races at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)-bound Porta Fortuna racked up her third straight Group 1 in the Matron (G1), and Green Impact captured the Champions Juvenile (G2).
In other stakes action on the card, Diego Velazquez put himself into the Mile discussion by justifying odds-on favoritism in the Solonaway (G2).
Irish Champion (G1)
Economics had looked like a potential superstar against fellow sophomores at the Group 2 level, but the Irish Champion represented his stiffest test so far. Stepping up to a Group 1 and facing elders for the first time, he showed terrific resolve to prevail over Auguste Rodin in a stretch tussle between the two favorites.
In the process, Economics scored a particularly satisfying victory for owner Isa Salman al Khalifa, who sponsors the Irish Champion under the branding of Royal Bahrain.
Haggas has wanted to tread carefully with Economics, regarding the scopey son of Night of Thunder as a long-term prospect. With the Oct. 19 Champion (G1) at Ascot expected to be his seasonal finale, he’s unlikely to take up the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) spot that he earned on Saturday.
Indeed, earlier in the year, Haggas resisted the lure of the Derby (G1) at Epsom despite Economics’ sensational performance in the May 16 Dante (G2). The blaze-faced chestnut was not seen again until the Aug. 15 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (G2) at Deauville, where he turned in an arguably even better effort to overhaul Jayarebe to win going away by two lengths.
Economics shaded Auguste Rodin for favoritism, and the margin between them on the racecourse was similarly narrow. Under regular rider Tom Marquand, Economics endured a wide trip from off the pace. He initially flanked Auguste Rodin farther back, but advanced to a nearer stalking position in what might have been the key move.
Meanwhile, Luxembourg turned out to be the pacemaker for his Aidan O’Brien stablemate, Auguste Rodin. Ballydoyle’s longshot, Hans Andersen, was projected to play that role for the team, only to trail throughout.
Luxembourg, the 2022 Irish Champion hero and last year’s runner-up, led until deep into the stretch. As Economics began to gain momentum, Auguste Rodin quickened to join the fray, and they soon pulled away to fight out the finish.
Although Auguste Rodin at one stage appeared to have the upper hand, his six-pound concession may have told in the end. Economics kept finding more to fend him off by a neck in a final time of 2:03.20 for 1 1/4 miles on the good course. The winner paid $5.20.
Japan’s Shin Emperor finished strongly to edge O’Brien’s Los Angeles for third. Next came Ghostwriter, who stalked much of the way but couldn’t maintain his position late; Luxembourg; Royal Rhyme; and Hans Andersen.
Both Shin Emperor and Los Angeles turned in excellent preps for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1), beaten about a length in all.
French-bred Shin Emperor hopes to emulate full brother Sottsass, who won the 2020 Arc after placing fourth in the Irish Champion. The €2.1 million Arqana sale topper as a yearling, Shin Emperor is trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who is preparing Kentucky Derby (G1) third Forever Young for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Los Angeles had too much ground to make up. The Irish Derby (G1) and Great Voltigeur (G2) winner did well to get as close as he did, while shaping like a horse who’d prefer going back up to 1 1/2 miles.
Economics, whose only loss was a debut fourth as a juvenile, has won all four starts this term. His pedigree reinforces the idea that he’s only just getting started. His dam, the Peintre Celebre mare La Pomme D’Amour, scored her signature wins as an older horse in the 2012-13 editions of the Prix de Pomone (G2).
Matron (G1)
Marquand kicked off a Group 1 double courtesy of hot favorite Porta Fortuna, who returned $3.80 for another superb display in the Matron.
Trained by Donnacha O’Brien for an American partnership including Medallion Racing, the Caravaggio filly was well placed just off early leaders Fallen Angel and Soprano. Porta Fortuna drove a length clear down the lane and polished off the mile in 1:40.67, indicative of a modest pace.
Fallen Angel, unraced since romping in the May 26 Irish 1000 Guineas (G1), bravely held second by a half-length. Constant companion Soprano likewise boxed on determinedly in third.
Ballydoyle’s Ylang Ylang caught fire belatedly in fourth, just missing third, in a fine tune-up for the Prix de l’Opera (G1). Like stablemate Los Angeles in the Irish Champion, Ylang Ylang wants more distance. The Matron pace didn’t play to her strengths.
Vespertilio got up for fifth, followed by Mamma’s Girl, Wendla, Jancis, and Magical Sunset.
The Matron is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), but Porta Fortuna will stick to her mile specialty at Del Mar. Since her neck loss in the 1000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, the bay has reeled off a hat trick beginning with the Coronation (G1) at Royal Ascot. She rolled by 3 3/4 lengths in the Falmouth (G1) during Newmarket’s July Festival, and the two-month break ahead of the Irish Champions Festival did not interrupt her momentum.
Porta Fortuna has compiled a sterling record of 11-7-3-1. She also captured last year’s Cheveley Park (G1), Albany (G3), and Naas Fillies’ Sprint (G3). Her stakes placings at two include seconds in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and Phoenix (G1) as well as a third in the Moyglare Stud (G1).
Champions Juvenile (G2)
Marc Chan’s homebred Green Impact won a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), but the Jessica Harrington trainee won’t be traveling. Connections are already looking to next year with the Epsom candidate.
Although Green Impact had beaten Ballydoyle’s Delacroix in a July 25 course-and-distance maiden, bettors were overconfident of a form reversal. Delacroix was bet down to odds-on favoritism in light of his maiden win in the interim, only to find his old rival too tough once again.
Green Impact tracked the other Ballydoyle runner, Bernard Shaw, and got the jump on Delacroix in the stretch. Responding to stable rider Shane Foley’s urging, Green Impact crossed the wire a half-length to the good of the staying-on Delacroix. Bernard Shaw wasn’t disgraced in third, but the long-way last Green Triangle remains a work in progress.
The final time for the mile, 1:39.52, was more than a second faster than Porta Fortuna’s in the Matron.
Green Impact furnished $5.80 as the 9-5 second choice. A neck away from being unbeaten, the Wootton Bassett colt succumbed to Hazdann in a salty maiden on Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh.
Other stakes action
Diego Velazquez posted the fastest mile of the day, 1:38.94, in the Solonaway. Trainer Aidan O’Brien rerouted the Frankel colt here after the postponement of the Saratoga Derby (G1) last month. The change of plan could chart a course to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but Australia’s Cox Plate (G1) is reportedly still an option.
Last year’s Champions Juvenile hero, Diego Velazquez had a checkered 2024 campaign until returning to Leopardstown to dominate the July 18 Meld (G3). That made him the 3-5 favorite in the Solonaway, where he remained perfect from three starts at the Foxrock venue.
Diego Velazquez worked out a straightforward stalk-and-pounce trip with Ryan Moore to score by 1 1/2 lengths. The top two from the recent Desmond (G3), Mutasarref and Ballydoyle’s Mountain Bear, filled out the minor placings.
After father Aidan and brother Donnacha’s victories, Joseph O’Brien visited the winner’s circle with Trustyourinstinct in the Kilternan (G3). The Churchill gelding has been rejuvenated by a hurdling campaign, and he’s carried his form to new heights back on the Flat.
In his past two, Trustyourinstinct came close to a pair of St Leger (G1) winners. The John McManus runner was second in the June 29 International (G3) to Jan Brueghel, who’s since won the Gordon (G3) at Glorious Goodwood and Saturday’s renewal of the Doncaster classic. Last time out in the Royal Whip (G3), Trustyourinstinct went down by a half-length to 2023 St Leger star Continuous, the favorite in Sunday’s Prix Foy (G2).
Those formlines made Trustyourinstinct the favorite on Saturday, and he duly obliged with Dylan Browne McMonagle. Surging past front runner Kinesiology, Trustyourinstinct finished 1 1/2 miles in 2:32.76 to earn his first stakes win.
The Irish Champions Festival opened with the Ingabelle S. for two-year-old fillies, won impressively by even-money favorite Chantez.
The Ger Lyons filly uncharacteristically ducked out in midstretch, reportedly once she glimpsed the photographers, but jockey Colin Keane got her re-organized. Chantez had three-quarters of a length to spare while negotiating seven furlongs in 1:27.26.
A trio of Ballydoyle fillies battled for the placings. Garden of Eden was a head up on the inconvenienced Bubbling, who didn’t have the clearest shot on the inside. Easy Mover, the pacesetter attended by Garden of Eden, weakened to fourth.
Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s Chantez, like Champions Juvenile winner Green Impact, is by Wootton Basset. All three of her starts have come at this track and trip. On debut, she was just headed by Exactly, who has since played second fiddle to Ballydoyle stablemate Bedtime Story in both the Silver Flash (G3) and Debutante (G2). Chantez came back to break her maiden in style, and she made it two in a row here.
