DUAL 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill and his stable companion Winter, the dual 1,000 Guineas winner and more recently successful in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood head the 14 horses remaining in the €1.25m QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. Aidan O'Brien’s pair could be joined by Poet’s Word, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, another that won at Goodwood last month, Martyn Meade’s Eminent, successful at Deauville last time out and the Roger Charlton-trained Decorated Knight, the winner of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May.

There are also 14 horses going forward for the Group 1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes including Ballydoyle’s star filly Winter. The John Gosden-trained Persuasive and Jean-Claude Rouget’s Qemah finished second and third to Alice Springs in the race 12 months ago and are both on course for a repeat bid for the €350,000 contest. Wuheida, a Group 1 winner as a two-year-old could run for Charlie Appleby while Sea Of Grace is clearly on the upgrade and could carry the hopes of William Haggas.

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QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes

Paddy Power: 4-5 Churchill, 6 Winter, 7 Eminent, 8 Poets Word, 12 Cliffs Of Moher, 14 Benbatl, Success Days, 20 Decorated Knight, Zhukova, 25 Moonlight Magic, 33 Hydrangea, Lancaster Bomber, The Grey Gatsby, 50 Taj Mahal

Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes

Paddy Power: Evens Winter, 5-2 Roly Poly, 5 Qemah, 6 Rhododendron, 8 Persuasive, 12 Sea Of Grace, 14 Wuheida, 20 Hydrangea, 25 Rain Goddess, Unforgettable Filly, 33 Intricately, 50 Diamond Fields, Laganore, 66 Bean Feasa

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