Irish Champions Festival: British horses worth noting at Leopardstown and the Curragh

ALFLAILA (Owen Burrows)

3.20 Leopardstown, Saturday - Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)

You can’t help but be deeply impressed by what Owen Burrows has achieved with a much-reduced team (numbers wise at least) over the past couple of years, and the fact he and the Shadwell operation are willing to supplement the super-fresh Sky Bet York Stakes winner Alflaila into the Irish Champion Stakes speaks volumes.

He’s the coming force in this particular division as he rounded off last season with a really impressive treble and picked up where he left off on his first try at the 10-furlong distance on the Knavesmire when reappearing at the end of July (replay below).

He’ll no doubt be ridden for a late run down the wide outside and should get a race set-up to suit with the O’Brien horses no doubt looking to tee things up for dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin.

I’m not convinced Auguste Rodin will beat old foe King Of Steel even if he’s back to his best given the latter was lacking a prep run when they met earlier in the year at Epsom. And less said about his King George flop the better.

So the British raiders hold the key for me, with Alflaila just preferred to Nashwa, whose Juddmonte International Stakes effort in splitting Mostahdaf and Paddington looks rock-solid evidence she’s as good as ever despite her fairly busy schedule.

BRADSELL (Archie Watson)

2.55 Curragh, Sunday - Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes (Group 1)

Irish sprinters struggle to fend off the best of the British raiders but, in fairness, they have won two of the five editions of the Flying Five since the race gained Group 1 status.

Having said that, it’s all about the travelling party this year and I’d imagine Archie Watson will be pretty confident Bradsell can overturn York form with Highfield Princess.

He beat her in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot in the summer but just had to make his challenge from a little further afield in the Nunthorpe, whereas Highfield Princess basically got a dream run in the slipstream of runaway winner Live In The Dream from the start.

It may not have cost him defeat but Bradsell definitely covered more ground than Highfield Princess on the Knavesmire and I reckon he’ll be happier getting back on a stiffer track regardless.

A disappointing favourite in the Phoenix Stakes on this card last season, I won’t be holding the previous Curragh blowout against him as he completely fluffed the start that day and returned with an injury which saw him ruled out for the rest of his juvenile campaign.

There’s a bit of a score to settle then, in more ways than one, and the three-year-old Bradsell looks up to the job.

MR WAGYU (John Quinn)

1.50 Curragh, Sunday - Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap

At the other end of the age spectrum, eight-year-old veteran Mr Wagyu clearly owes trainer John Quinn and owners The New Century Partnership nothing after winning 15 times already throughout his career, but would anyone be shocked if he managed one last hurrah before the end of the year?

Two of his finest performances last season came at the Curragh, when winning the Scurry Handicap in mid-July and finishing a close third in the “Bold Lad” 12 months ago. He’s back for another shot at the prize and is able to run off an 8lb lower mark too having not added to his tally since.

He has run some terrific races in defeat, though, including when fourth in the Stewards’ Cup two starts back, and he might take a bit of pegging back on genuinely quick ground here.

ARAMINTA (Henry Candy)

2.25 Curragh - Moyglare ''Jewels'' Blandford Stakes (Fillies' And Mares' Group 2)

Araminta has a mini fan club here at SL Towers, it has to be said, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how she fares in Saturday’s Blandford Stakes.

A daughter of Gleneagles, her dam Mince was an old favourite of mine and ended up winning three Listed races and a Group 3 after starting off from a lowly handicap mark of 70.

Araminta is clearly a quick learner by comparison and can probably be excused her sole defeat from four starts to this point as it was bottomless at Goodwood back in May and she didn’t see it out after racing too keenly early on.

She’s since gone back to Goodwood to win the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes over 10 furlongs and successfully dropped back to nine to beat the French in their own back yard in the Prix Chloe at Chantilly, which is no mean feat this year seemingly.

Connections will probably be glad they skipped the Nassau with her (run in pretty horrible conditions) and stepping back up to 10 furlongs on decent ground should allow Araminta to show her true colours – in which case the local runners could be in a bit of trouble.

FALLEN ANGEL (Karl Burke)

3.25 Curragh, Sunday - Moyglare Stud Stakes (Fillies' Group 1)

Ylang Ylang appears to be the darling of the juvenile scene in Ireland this season and has barely seen another rival in two starts so far, backing up her Curragh maiden win with an all-the-way victory in a Group 3 over the same seven-furlong trip at Leopardstown.

The runner-up has won the Group 2 Debutante Stakes since so she looks a serious talent but the same applies to Fallen Angel who could be an interesting rival as she tends to sit prominently in her races as well.

She travels and quickens, while I’ve no doubt she’s got the stamina to stay a bit further in time too, so it’s no surprise to see Karl Burke and the Clipper team wanting to test her credentials against the best Ireland has to offer on the back of her three-length Sweet Solera win at Newmarket last month (replay below).

NATIVE AMERICAN (Richard Fahey)

5.10 Curragh, Sunday - Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes

A race Richard Fahey won three years ago with Shark Two One, it’s intriguing to see Native American kept back for this since his winning debut at York towards the end of May.

It was a striking victory too, one which prompted big-spending Wathnan Racing to get the cheque book out during the interim, and while there are mixed messages from the debut form if taken at face value, this colt was in a different league altogether.

Entered up before not being declared for the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood's big meeting, he's now also in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket later in the month and this would obviously be a lucrative prize to pick up along the way.

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