Nathaniel and Snow Fairy appear among the 12 entries for Saturday’s Group 1
Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. As expected, the fine French gelding
Cirrus Des Aigles has been taken out at the five-day stage, but a terrific field
remains.
John Gosden has decided on Ireland’s 1 1/4-mile clash of generations as the
next port of call for multiple Group 1 hero Nathaniel. The winner of the Group 1
Eclipse in his belated reappearance, he was just run down by Danedream when
trying to defend his title in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at
Ascot last time out.
Ed Dunlop’s brilliant mare Snow Fairy is among the potential opposition after
her thrilling return at Deauville recently. Sidelined by injury since her repeat
victory in last November’s Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup at
Kyoto, the multiple champion overcame traffic to capture the Group 1 Prix Jean
Romant August 19.
In last year’s Irish Champion, Snow Fairy missed by a half-length to dual
hemisphere titan So You Think, who gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his seventh win in
the Leopardstown feature.
O’Brien has a squadron lined up in search of his eighth victory. He has six
of the field, led by multiple Group 1 hero St Nicholas Abbey, most recently
third to Frankel in the Group 1 Juddmonte International; Group 1 Grand Prix de
Paris winner Imperial Monarch; and Treasure Beach, Robin Hood, Windsor Palace
and Daddy Long Legs.
Dermot Weld has engaged the prolific Famous Name, a Leopardstown specialist,
and the three-year-old filly Princess Highway, a smashing winner of Royal
Ascot’s Group 2 Ribblesdale earlier this summer.
Rounding out the field are Born to Sea, the half-brother to Sea the Stars
from the John Oxx yard, and the Jim Bolger-trained Light Heavy.
Three British raiders are among the field for the chief supporting race on
the card, the Matron Stakes, with Chachamaidee, Nahrain and Laugh Out Loud the
potential contenders for Group 1 honors.
Sir Henry Cecil’s Chachamaidee has shown her best form at Goodwood, where she
won the Group 2 Lennox Stakes over males, while Roger Varian will be hoping for
better from Nahrain, who has failed to reproduce her form of 2011 when she won
the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly &
Mare Turf.
Group 2 Prix de Sandringham winner Laugh Out Loud could represent Mick
Channon while last year’s scorer Emulous leads the domestic opposition for
Dermot Weld.
A total of 14 runners stand their ground for the one-mile showdown, including
O’Brien’s handful of Maybe, Up, After, Soon and Ishvana.
Trainer Richard Hannon is planning a speedy return to the track for Law
Enforcement in Saturday’s inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial at a mile.
The juvenile has won three of his four starts to date in no-nonsense fashion,
most recently in a nursery at Sandown on Saturday.
“The extra furlong will suit him well,” Hannon said.
Law Enforcement is one of 19 possible runners, including ante-post Group 1
Derby favorite Mars.
There’s more Group-race action in Ireland on Sunday, when the Curragh stages
a classy card, headlined by the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes for fillies over seven
furlongs.
The unbeaten Just The Judge could make the trip over from Charlie Hills’
Lambourn stable, while the home challenge could be led by the Aga Khan’s
Harasiya, a winner of two of her three starts.
Also look out for the Group 2 Blandford Stakes for fillies and mares, run
over 10 furlongs and the Group 3 Solonaway Stakes, run over a mile.
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