THE Irish Champions Weekend looks an absolutely cracker with racing at Leopardstown on the Saturday and the Curragh on Sunday.
It has been an interesting season with the home challengers travelling over to pick up some of the big Irish prizes and it will be fascinating to see how the weekend goes here.
The race of the weekend is the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes Group 1 on the Saturday with Economics, Auguste Rodin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg and the Japanese challenger Shin Emperor amongst the field.
Auguste Rodin is trying to follow up on his success last year and this six-time Group 1 winner has a strong chance once again, though his lack of consistency means it is hard to support him.
Los Angeles is coming back down in trip, which is a surprise, as he would have been my selection in the St Leger at Doncaster. This now appears to be a warm up for the Arc, though we know Los Angeles has all the ability to win here.
Three-year-olds have won the last three renewals and the very exciting Economics can follow that trend in his first Group 1 race!
Enjoy whether at the Irish Champions Weekend or watching #athome on Racing TV or ITV Racing.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
Sunday Curragh:
3.35 Curragh – Flying Five Stakes Group 1 (5f)
Bucanero Fuerte was one of my selections in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last weekend and after leading until the final furlong he kept on finishing sixth on only his second start of the season. He had won well on seasonal debut in May when taking the Goffs Lacken Stakes Group 3 beating Givemethebeatboys and it is very likely he will come on from the Sprint Cup so it is interesting that he is running at the Curragh a weekend later. He has lots of talent as he showed in his juvenile campaign when he won the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh beating Porta Fortuna (runs Matron Stakes Saturday 2.50) and Givemethebeatboys in fantastic style when dictating the race from halfway. Bucanero Fuerte has a great attitude, and he has a good chance of rewarding each way players at a minimum.
Unibet are paying an EXTRA PLACE in this race!
4.10 Curragh – Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes Group 1 (7f)
Scorthy Champ can reverse form with the strongly fancied Henri Matisse who he finished two lengths behind to in the Futurity last month here at the Curragh.
Scorthy Champ badly missed the break that day and whilst looking green really stayed on well towards the finish. He will benefit tremendously from that experience and has strong each way claims.
4.45 Curragh – Irish St. Leger Group 1 (1m 6f)
Giavellotto (nap) went in my notebook when winning at Newmarket in 2022 and then he went on to finish third in the St. Leger at Doncaster. This grand staying type has come of age this season by taking his second Yorkshire Cup when beating Vauban by an eased down four and half lengths and then he dropped down in trip to one mile four furlongs for the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at the July Festival when winning comfortably there too. He was marked up in my Unibet blog that day and it was surprising that many people didn’t think he would have the speed over that shorter trip.
Giavellotto’s stamina and speed combined with being in the best form of his career means he can fend off Kyprios to take his first Group 1.
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