IRISH RACING WEEKEND PREVIEWS Venue: LEOPARDSTOWN Date: 13 SEPTEMBER 2014 First race: 3.35pm (Eight Races - Flat) Going: Good to Firm Two Group 1s, a Group 2, two more Group 3s and some top-notch supporting races should be enough to get the inaugural running of Irish Champions Weekend off to a flyer at Leopardstown on Saturday afternoon • The QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes is a race made famous by immortals such as Sadlers Wells, Giants Causeway and Sea The Stars, and the Irish racing public have a chance to see a modern day great in Saturdays renewal of the race as the Aidan OBrien-trained Australia takes aim at the €1m contest. The Ballydoyle outfit will be heavily represented throughout Irish Champions Weekend, but the success of their weekend hinges on whether or not Joseph OBrien and Australia can deliver in the feature race on Saturday. • Despite his short odds, the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes will not pose as some kind of lap of honour for Australia, and he faces seriously stiff opposition from some of the top yards across Ireland and Britain. The Roger Charlton-trained Al Kazeem has some unfinished business in this race as he was narrowly beaten last year, while the Kevin Ryan-trained The Grey Gatsby will be hoping to bridge a two length gap with Australia on their Juddmonte International Stakes form at York last month. • The second Group 1 on the card, the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes, plays host to 10 of the best fillies in Europe and Ballydoyle have similarly strong claims with another stable-star Tapestry. A winner at York last time, Tapestry will be reverting back in trip under Joseph OBrien on Saturday and sets a high standard. The Clive Brittain-trained Rizeena has failed to add to her brilliant win in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and will be more than capable of picking up the pieces under Ryan Moore should the favourite flounder. • Mustajeeb provided his trainer Dermot Weld with a glorious moment when winning the Jersey Stakes under Pat Smullen at Royal Ascot in June and bids to demonstrate his talents on home soil in the Group 2 Clipper Boomerang. Tom Hogans Gordon Lord Byron has failed to land a blow on Irish turf since returning from a fruitful Australian campaign that bore Group 1 success, and he will also attempt to put on a show for his Irish fans. • John F Kennedy is a big horse with a big name and will be a short price to win the Group 3 John Deere Juvenile Turf Stakes, again for Aidan and Joseph OBrien, while Free Eagle will make his eagerly anticipated seasonal debut in the Group 3 KPMG Enterprise Stakes for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen. • The first race at Leopardstown is off at 3.35pm. Venue: CURRAGH Date: 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 First race: 2.05pm (Eight Races - Flat) Going: Good to Firm Three Group 1s, a Group 2 and a Group 3 as well as music from the world famous classical group the Celtic Tenors makes the Curragh the only place to be for Flat racing fans on Sunday • Surprisingly Aidan OBrien has only managed to win the Group 1 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger twice but has very strong claims of making it three with Leading Light on Sunday. The winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, Leading Light looked better than ever when winning here a fortnight ago under Joseph OBrien and they set the standard in the 100th running of this famous race. The Dermot Weld-trained Pale Mimosa is a filly on the up and she should be involved in the finish of what promises to be a great race under Pat Smullen. • Irish Champions Weekend has attracted some of the superstar Flat horses as well as top-class racing prospects, and one such horse with a massive future is the Roger Varian-trained Cursory Glance. A winner at Royal Ascot in June, Cursory Glance has strong claims of bringing the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes back to Britain. • Few two-year-olds occupy the same reputation as Gleneagles and he has already been touted as a future 2000 Guineas winner. The Aidan OBrien-trained colt can stride a little closer to warranting that reputation in the Group 1 Goffs Vincent OBrien National Stakes under Joseph OBrien. • The action at the Curragh is off at 2.05pm and champion hurdlers Jezki, Hardy Eustace, Hurricane Fly and Binocular will be among the stars on show in the Parade of Champions taking place after the first race. Venue: LISTOWEL Date: 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 First race: 2.20pm (Seven Races - Jumps) Going: Good, Good to Firm in places Its not all about Irish Champions Weekend as the seven-day Listowel Harvest festival gets underway on Sunday • Henry De Bromhead and teenage riding sensation Jonathan Burke have enjoyed a great week recording winners at Galway and Clonmel, and will attempt to land the feature €34,000 Kerry Group Handicap Chase with Lord Ben at Listowel on Sunday. Having finished a respectable fifth in the Galway Plate earlier this summer, Lord Ben will attempt to carry top-weight to victory here and Burkes five-pound claim is sure to aid him. • Willie Mullins is always worth following at Listowel and his Verawal created a big impression when winning at Roscommon last time. Verawal will be a very popular sort among punters in the Kerry Group 3-y-o Hurdle with Paul Townend taking the ride. • Mullins and Townend could have strong claims again in the following Kerrymaid Hurdle with Shamar, however the Peter Fahy-trained Queen Alphabet should not be discounted too lightly with Davy Russell in the saddle. • The first race is off at 2.20pm at Listowel on Sunday.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 19:04:34 +0000
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