FROM Aidan O’Brien promising “nowhere to hide” in an honestly-run Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, to John Gosden raising concerns about Ombudsman taking on “multiple entries from one stable on a track with a short straight”, there’s been plenty of chat recently about the tactical questions that can be asked of riders at Leopardstown.

With a three-furlong run-in, there ought to be plenty of space for runners to challenge from a variety of positions at the Co Dublin venue, though it hasn’t always worked out quite as straightforwardly as that on Ireland’s premier flat weekend. Margins are tight, rewards sizeable and the jockeys ride accordingly.

What makes today’s action different to other years at Leopardstown is the significant shake-up to the riders we’ll see deciding the €2.6 million card compared to other years. When looking at the listings of the jockeys to have ridden most winners on the flat at Leopardstown over the past decade, four of the top seven active riders will not be taking part this afternoon.

As a result of injury, suspension or commitments elsewhere, today marks the first time since 1997 that an Irish Champion Stakes card does not feature Ryan Moore, Colin Keane, Billy Lee or Wayne Lordan. To give some context as to how different Irish racing was in a completely different world back then, Aidan O’Brien had only trained his first Group 1 a year earlier, Pilsudski won the Irish Champion Stakes and the likes of Jamie Spencer, Declan McDonogh and Fran Berry were each claiming 6lb on the card. An eternity ago.

Being without Moore, Keane, Lee and Lordan is an enormous wealth of Group 1 experience to be missing on a key fixture in the calendar. What their absence does, however, is open the door for others to shine under the spotlight.

Ballydoyle have enlisted the services of Christophe Soumillon from overseas, and that is hardly a shock given how the French-based Belgian has won three Group 1s for O’Brien in a little more than the last 12 months. Don’t forget a Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victory on Los Angeles in late 2023 too.

While he’s been beaten on a share of big-race favourites on these shores too - like Vadeni (2022 Irish Champion Stakes and 2023 Tattersalls Gold Cup), Dalakhani (2003 Irish Derby), Azamour (2005 Irish Champion Stakes) and Chic (2005 Matron Stakes) - he’s still ridden three winners at Leopardstown and three at the Curragh, most notably the 2016 Irish Champion Stakes on Almanzor. Long story short, he has enough experience around both tracks to understand both the pitfalls and the factors that help lead to success.

Hayes opportunities

As a result of injuries for Jim Crowley in a horrible spill last weekend, Chris Hayes has a massive opportunity of his own on Anmaat in the €1.25 million feature. Those Shadwell silks have been fortunate for him at this meeting before, memorably with Kevin Prendergast’s Madhmoon, but he might need to be at his very best to deliver Owen Burrows’ Champion Stakes winner right on time.

While Anmaat has been a terrific servant to connections, he was also beaten after trading as low as 1/9 in this year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup and 9/10 in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. What’s more, in the 2021 Cambridgeshire (when thrown in off a mark of 98) the talented campaigner was turned over after hitting a low of 1/5. Earlier that season, he was also twice beaten after hitting 1/3 and 1/2 mid-race. Hayes will need to time it just right.

With Ryan Moore out of action, the 38-year-old Limerick native has also got a great chance on Ed Dunlop’s Skukuza in the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes, while Helvic Dream is another handy spare in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Handicap.

Colin Keane, in action at Doncaster through his Juddmonte role, typically rides White Birch but the chance has now fallen to his Irish flat jockeys’ championship rival Dylan Browne McMonagle. With the rain arriving, he must be considered a dangerous opponent for Delacroix.

Browne McMonagle will primarily be riding for his boss, Joseph O’Brien, all weekend. However, it looks a coup for all concerned to see him jocked up on Asfoora in Sunday’s Group 1 Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes. The Nunthorpe heroine is believed to be the first Australian flat horse to ever race in Ireland, and has an obvious favourite’s chance if the ground doesn’t turn too testing. Beautify looks another excellent spare for Browne McMonagle in Sunday’s Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Apprentice ambitions

With Ballydoyle employing Sean Levey, Tom Marquand and Mickael Barzalona for their St Leger squad at Doncaster, there hasn’t been as much of a drain on their home resources for Leopardstown. Still, it represents a great chance for apprentice Jack Cleary on the O’Brien-trained Light As Air in the Petingo.

With Colin Keane away, Ger Lyons has unsurprisingly made the most of Gary Carroll’s services, but there have also been nice apprentice chances from Glenburnie handed to the likes of Nicola Burns, James Ryan and Robert Whearty.

While he would have been riding the horse in any case, today’s card also feels like an important one for Ben Coen aboard Zahrann in the Irish Champion Stakes. Johnny Murtagh’s stable jockey has established himself among the best in the country, but his sole Group 1 success came on this weekend back in 2021 through Sonnyboyliston in the Irish St Leger. He’ll surely be eager to end that absence from top table winners.

On the same card, he also has a standout chance on Alakazi in the Solonaway. Added to the mix is the fact that Coen frustratingly missed out on a winner for Murtagh at this weekend last year; Hanalia in the Moyglare-backed Blandford Stakes, due to a fractured collarbone.

Shane Foley was the super-sub for Murtagh and the Aga Khan team on that occasion, and the 2025 Irish Champions Festival might well prove to be all about the riders who can similarly capitalise on chances that would not typically be available to them. It’s all to play for on a massive weekend.