The first three home in the recent Juddmonte International – Item, Almaqam and Constitution River – have all stood their ground for next Saturday's €1.25 million Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Constitution River won the French Derby and the Coral-Eclipse prior to placing third at York last month. Aidan O’Brien has attributed that defeat to race tactics that went awry.
Item has made his name at York. Last month’s big win was his third on the Knavesmire this year and he bids to maintain the terrific run being enjoyed by his trainer Andrew Balding in tandem with owners Juddmonte and their retained rider Colin Keane.
Almaqam was only grabbed in the final two strides by Item at York and he won the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May on his only prior visit to Ireland.
A Boy Named Susie, trained by Donnacha O’Brien, along with the 2025 dual Derby winner Lambourn, Jessica Harrington’s recent Group 1 winner Hotazhell and the very promising Purview are also in the mix.
Wimbledon Hawkeye, Group 1 placed and a Group 3 winner on his latest start for new trainer George Scott, has been supplemented at a cost of €75,000.
Constitution River heads the betting at the time of going to press as a general 5/4 favourite with Item next best at 2/1. A Boy Named Susie and Almaqam are both around 6/1.
Matron Stakes
Blue Bolt is the certain favourite for the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes on the same card. The Andrew Balding-trained filly comes into this latest test in exceptional form having swept the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and Prix Rothschild for the ‘Item’ team of Balding, Keane and Juddmonte, both times at the expense of Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes heroine Precise.
True Love, who won the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, will face Precise for the fourth time this year, the score reading 2/1 in favour of the latter.
City Of Memphis is a very interesting contender for Paddy Twomey, kept fresh for this assignment since impressing in Group 3 and Group 2 events in May.
Second in this race in 2024 before winning it last year, Fallen Angel has an excellent record in Ireland with three Group 1 wins from four starts.
In ante-post markets, Blue Bolt rates an even-money favourite ahead of Precise at 5/2; City Of Memphis is 7/1 with both Fallen Angel and True Love at 10/1 each.
Golden Fleece Stakes
Saturday's card has, for the first time, a third Group 1 race, namely the HKJC World Pool Golden Fleece Stakes, a nine-furlong test for two-year-olds.
The newest addition to Ireland’s Group 1 roster has attracted a strong cast of juveniles with 15 horses remaining.
Nola Soul, successful in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot for Fozzie Stack, certainly catches the eye.
Darkness Falls was a very impressive maiden winner by seven lengths at the Curragh recently for Ballydoyle.
Charlie Appleby’s Quest For Stars is unbeaten in three starts and gained automatic entry for this race after landing the Listed Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury last month.
Pikachu has finished close-up in some of the biggest English stakes races for juveniles this summer and trainer Charlie Johnston is keen to step his son of Frankel up in trip.
Paddy Twomey looks likely to rely on City Of Dubai while Joseph O’Brien has four options, including Green Dreamer and Zarak Pasha.
Mark Clayton, CEO of Leopardstown racecourse, said: “This will be the first time for Leopardstown to have the privilege of hosting three Group 1 races on a single card. The entries for the top-level events on the first day of the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown are of the highest quality, headed by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.
"At this stage, we could be looking at a record of number of runners from Britain. We are also looking forward to broadcasting the entire programme to our World Pool partners around the globe.”
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