Irish Champion Stakes: pros and cons of the main contenders

Economics

Pros

Three-year-old Economics goes into the Irish Champion Stakes with a wholly unexposed profile, having had only four races in his life and with an unbeaten record in his three starts this year which have seen him improve in leaps and bounds. The winner of a maiden at Newbury on his reappearance, he found huge improvement when stepping up in trip to win the Dante by six lengths but, rather than be tempted by a Derby bid for the still raw-looking Economics, trainer William Haggas allowed him time to mature over the summer. Returning three months later in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville – won in 2016 by Almanzor before his Irish Champion Stakes victory – Economics improved again with a cosy beating of the Hampton Court Stakes winner Jayarebe. He’s an exciting colt and looks sure to improve again.

Cons

The flip side to Economics’ unexposed profile is that he lacks experience compared to his rivals. This will be his first start against older horses and it’s his first try in Group 1 company too.

Auguste Rodin

Pros

Auguste Rodin is the main contender for Aidan O’Brien who has an outstanding record in the Irish Champion Stakes having won 12 of the 24 editions of the race since 2000, including the last five. Auguste Rodin himself won last year’s race from stablemate Luxembourg who was the winner in 2022. He’s therefore bidding to become Ballydoyle’s third dual winner after Dylan Thomas and Magical. Also successful at three in the Derby, Irish Derby and Breeders’ Cup Turf, Auguste Rodin gained the sixth top-level victory of his career in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June when returning to his best to account for the very smart French pair Zarakem and Horizon Dore. Although disappointing since back at Ascot in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, he bounced back from a heavy defeat in the same race when successful last year.

Cons

Undoubtedly high-class at his best, there seem to be no half-measures with Auguste Rodin whose below-par efforts have been frankly poor ones, including, as mentioned, in the last two editions of the King George when starting favourite both times at 9/4 and 7/4. A lack of convincing reasons for the occasions when he’s underperformed only adds to his rather enigmatic profile. While Auguste Rodin won the Futurity Trophy at two on heavy ground, all his wins since have come on ground firmer than good, conditions which are unlikely to prevail on Saturday.

Los Angeles

Pros

Like Economics, Auguste Rodin’s stablemate Los Angeles is a three-year-old with only one defeat in his record, when finishing third behind City of Troy and Ambiente Friendly in the Derby when he did well considering he helped force the pace. Los Angeles has since turned the tables on the Epsom runner-up when winning the Irish Derby and then followed up under a penalty in the Great Voltigeur Stakes. He was a determined winner at York, holding off stablemate Illinois who’s set to start favourite for the St Leger earlier on Saturday afternoon. A big, well-made colt, Los Angeles may well still have further improvement to make after just six starts.

Cons

Like Economics, Los Angeles takes on older rivals for the first time, while he also has something to find on form with his two main rivals. It took no more than smart form for him to win the Irish Derby where the first four were covered by only a length and a half or so and the margins were similar at York, albeit where he was conceding weight all round. The biggest concern about Los Angeles, though, is the drop back in trip. Even as a two-year-old when he won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, stamina looked his strong suit, and that looked very much the case again last time when, on the face of it, he ran a fine trial for the St Leger. He’d surely be heading to Doncaster instead if his stable didn’t have such a strong hand of other candidates for that race, and this may end up serving as more of a trial for his main autumn target, the Arc.

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