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.