Irish form expert Donn McClean highlights five horses he's keen to keep onside in the coming weeks following their Irish Champions Festival exploits.
Shin Emperor
3rd, Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown Saturday
We learned that Economics had grit and determination to go with his class as he got the better of the title-holder Auguste Rodin in a pulsating renewal of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstownon Saturday but, in behind, Shin Emperor was running a big race to take third place.
The presence of Yoshito Yahagi’s horse in Saturday’s feature added a truly international dimension to the day and to the race, and he put up a hugely encouraging performance in defeat. It was always possible that it was going to be tricky for rider Ryusei Sakai from his inside draw and, sure enough, he didn’t have a whole lot of racing room between the two-furlong marker and the furlong marker. Checked a little and switched to his right, the Siyouni colt was strong through the final furlong, clocking the fastest final-furlong time and moving from sixth place to third place by the time he got to the winning line, just a length behind the winner.
This 10-furlong trip was probably short of Shin Emperor’s best. A staying-on third in the Japanese Derby over a mile and a half at Tokyo in May, he should come on for this run, it is probable that this will put him spot on for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and he should appreciate the step back up to a mile and a half at Longchamp.
His trainer is hugely successful both domestically and internationally, and it is worth bearing in mind that Shin Emperor is a full-brother to Sottsass, who finished fourth in the Irish Champion Stakes in 2020 before winning the Arc three weeks later. Given the results of the Arc trials at Longchamp on Sunday, it is mildly surprising that Shin Emperor is not shorter than 8/1 now for the Arc.
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Nurburgring
4th, Petingo Handicap, Leopardstown Saturday
Nurburgring did well to stay on as well as he did to finish fourth in the Petingo Handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday.
This was a race in which the prominent racers dominated. The winner Fighter, who would be deserving of his place in Group company now on this evidence, made all the running, while the second and third, Chemistry and Eagle’s Way, raced in second and third places respectively from early.
Slowly into stride, Nurburgring was well back in the field early on, when it looked like he was going as fast as he wanted to go. Still only 16th or 17th of the 22 runners as they turned for home, rider Dylan Browne McMonagle took him to the outside, and he stayed on best of all through the final two furlongs to take fourth place. In another couple of strides he would have been third.
An impressive winner of the Galway Hurdle last month, Joseph O’Brien’s horse remains wholly unexposed now on the flat. A rating of 150 over hurdles suggests that he could have at least a little bit of leeway in a mark of 91 on the flat, up 1lb for Saturday’s run. He holds an entry in the Irish Cesarewitch at The Curragh at the end of this month, and he will be of interest if he runs in that race. He should appreciate the greater test of stamina that that contest would present.
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Greek Flower
7th, Bold Lad Handicap, The Curragh Sunday
Johnny Feane’s four runners at the Irish Champions Festival all ran well, Vera’s Secret was an impressive winner of the concluding handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday, and Greek Flower ran another good race in defeat in the sprint handicap that opened proceedings at The Curragh on Sunday.
Held up out the back through the early stages of the race, she made good ground on the far side from the two-furlong marker, and she finished off her race strongly for Jamie Powell, getting to within two and a half lengths of the winner My Mate Alfie, who raced on the near side.
Indeed, all the protagonists raced on the near side, and the majority of them raced prominently from early. The first five home were all drawn 12 or higher, and the sixth home, Summerghand, was switched from stall nine and finished off his race on the near side.
Greek Flower raced on the far side from her low draw in stall four and, still last of the 25 runners two furlongs out, she did well to get as close as she did, coming from well back in the field. She did best of the horses who raced on the far side.
A dual winner at the end of last season, Johnny Feane’s mare has carried her progression into this season. She finished second in each of her first three runs this term, including in the Rockingham and in the Scurry, two hugely competitive sprint handicaps, before she lined up in Sunday’s race. She will be of interest now as we move into the autumn. She goes well on easy ground and she goes well at The Curragh, and it appears as if she is equally adept over five and six furlongs.
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Desperate Hero
6th, Flying Five, The Curragh Sunday
Desperate Hero only finished sixth in the Flying Five in the end, but he ran much better than that.
Sent off at a big price, Jack Channon’s horse was smartly away from stall two, he led the far-side group under Colin Keane until deep into the final furlong. He was caught and passed by Believing over there with just over hundred yards to run, by which time Bradsell had skipped clear on the near side, and he lost two places in the final strides, but he put up a brave performance for much of the race.
Impressive in beating Saturday’s Portland Handicap winner American Affair in a valuable five-furlong handicap at Hamilton in early June, his three runs since have been in Group races, and he has acquitted himself well in two of them. He is all speed, five furlongs is obviously his trip, and he is probably at his best on ground that is on the easy side of good. It could be worthwhile following him now as we move more deeply into the autumn. He holds an entry in a five-furlong Group 3 race on Saturday at Newbury, a track at which he won in August last year, and he will be of interest if he lines up in that.
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Hanalia
1st, Blandford Stakes, The Curragh Sunday
Hanalia battled on well to win the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday, and there could be even more to come now from Johnny Murtagh’s filly.
Held up out the back early on, the pace was not strong, and she had to make her ground as it quickened. Still last of the nine runners as they passed the three-furlong marker, Shane Foley took her towards the outside as they passed the two-furlong marker, and she picked up well from there. She hit the front deep inside the final furlong, and she kept on strongly to get home by a neck from Wingspan, who had led for most of the race.
According to the RaceIQ data, Hanalia was fastest of all through each of the last four furlongs, dipping below 11 seconds for the penultimate furlong.
Winner of the Naas Oaks Trial in June, the Aga Khan’s filly ran better than her finishing position suggests in the Irish Oaks, and she did well on her last run before Sunday to finish second to Tarawa in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Stakes over nine furlongs, coming from the rear and keeping on well over a distance that was probably short of her best.
She came forward from that run on Sunday, and it appeared as if she appreciated the step back up to 10 furlongs. Unraced as a juvenile last year, this was just her fifth run, so there could still be a fair bit more to come from her. Her trainer mentioned the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp on Arc day as a next potential target, and she would be fully deserving of her place in that Group 1 contest.
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