QIPCO IRISH CHAMPION

STAKES (Group 1)

THE Grey Gatsby’s position as one of the star middle distance three-year-olds of 2014 is now beyond reproach as Kevin Ryan’s charge stepped out of the shadows cast by some of his contemporaries to shock Australia in an eventful QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes.

The rich history of this race has been punctuated by some titanic finishes and this was once again the case as Ryan Moore got The Grey Gatsby home in front, under a ground saving ride, following an enthralling last furlong duel.

Earlier in the straight it had seemed as though the stage was set for Australia to make a victorious homecoming but the decision to chart a very wide course with the dual Derby winner for much of the race saw him succumb to his first defeat since the 2000 Guineas.

A winner of the French Derby in June, The Grey Gatsby had twice finished behind Australia this season, yet owner Frank Gillespie still paid €75,000 last Tuesday to supplement his grey into this race for another crack at the 3/10 favourite. The decision paid spectacular dividends as the 7/1 chance produced a display that contained class and courage in equal measure to comprehensively reverse York form with Australia who had beaten him two lengths that day.

The seven-runner field, of which five were Group 1 winners, were taken along at a strong pace by Alkasser and Kingfisher and from some way out Australia looked to be going appreciably better than The Grey Gatsby.

However, the favourite was posted six wide leaving the backstraight whereas the winner stayed towards the inner.

With just under three furlongs to run The Grey Gatsby was a couple of lengths last and starting to come under pressure and his chances of victory looked remote.

By contrast Australia had moved up menacingly on the outside of the leaders and, although he was forced to challenge wide, the favourite looked to have the race under control when striding purposefully to the front with well over a furlong to run.

At this stage The Grey Gatsby was in full flight and he soon moved into a closing second. Inside the last furlong the battle was joined and Australia gave his all to cling on but he just could not withstand his rival’s sustained bid.

Moore’s mount found a way past in the last few strides to carry the day by a neck.

There was some four and a half lengths back to last year’s Irish Derby winner Trading Leather with the last two winners of the Eclipse Stakes, Mukhadram and Al Kazeem, fourth and fifth.

“I’m tremendously proud of him,” said Tipperary-born Kevin Ryan, who was sending out his first Group 1 winner in Ireland.

“Ryan went out with a plan. He felt there was going to be a lot of pace so he said he was going to hang on to him and it was a fantastic ride. I think now this horse will start to get the credit that he deserves.”

“In fairness Richard Hughes rode him at York in the Juddmonte and he came in and said that Joseph got first kick on him that day.

“I don’t think we would have beaten Australia that day but Hughesie felt he would have been a lot closer and given him a harder race.

“He probably came here in better shape than he was in at York although turning in today I thought he had a lot to do but Ryan saved ground the whole way around.

“The horse has taken us on a tremendous journey and he’s going to stay in training next year when hopefully he will be a stronger horse.

“If he does have one more run this season it will be in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot and I think he will start out next season in the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night at Meydan,” concluded Ryan.

Fresh from another big race triumph Ryan Moore stated: “My horse is improving. I was impressed with him in France and he ran well at York. I thought that Australia would be hard to beat but that mine would come from York. He travels well but when you chase him he really tries hard for you and the first two have both run very well to pull well clear of three Group 1 winners.”

Reflecting on this narrow defeat for his star three-year-old Aidan O’Brien commented: “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

“He jumped handy and then had to take back when the pace picked up and when he came back he was trapped wide of James Doyle’s horse (Al Kazeem) and he couldn’t get inside him or past him and he had to commit early.”

The QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the same card will be next for Australia with the Arc de Triomphe looking an unlikely option.

Reflecting on his mount’s defeat Joseph O’Brien, who weighed in 1lb heavy afterwards, remarked: “Things probably couldn’t have gone much worse for me or gone better for the winner. I’d do things slightly differently if I had it back but we live and learn. It won’t happen again.”