The prospect of Leopardstown's Esat Digifone Irish Champion Stakes being the European championship event of the year increased yesterday after it was confirmed that Daylami will take on Royal Anthem with Montjeu remaining an intriguing possibility to trump them all.
The brilliant French and Irish Derby winner has an alternative Arc de Triomphe prep' in the Prix Niel and trainer John Hammond insists that no decision has been taken on which option Montjeu will choose. The final crucial decider could be Montjeu's liking for a cut in the ground.
"I will probably leave a final decision until about a week before," Hammond said yesterday. "There is no rush and the Irish Champion and the Niel are only 24 hours apart so there wouldn't be a whole lot of difference in the preparation." The Chantilly based trainer poured cold water on a weekend report that suggested Montjeu was a definite Leopardstown runner with Michael Kinane replacing Cash Asmussen who is committed to Dream Well.
"I don't know where that story came from," said Hammond. "It wasn't anyone in the stable or any of the owners. We are perfectly happy to sit and wait for the moment." However Hammond, who won the Leopardstown race with Suave Dancer in 1991, was keen not to rule out another trip to Ireland.
"We will have to see how he works and what the ground is. If the ground turned up firm at Longchamp, it would definitely influence my decision," he declared before acknowledging how good the Irish leg of the inaugural World Series could turn out to be.
"Montjeu's main target is the Arc and while Suave Dancer won at Leopardstown before winning the Arc, what is good for one horse may not be good for another. Suave Dancer did a fantastic bit of work 10 days before that Champion Stakes and that made our minds up to run him. We're not trying to be clever this time but there is no rush to decide," Hammond added.
Daylami will be supplemented for the Leopardstown Group 1 race as he bids to add to his King George and an earlier defeat of Royal Anthem in the Coronation Cup. The Godolphin spokesman Simon Crisford confirmed the intention yesterday and said that any thoughts about running the grey in the Arc are being put on hold until after the Champion.
Royal Anthem, the brilliant winner of York's Juddmonte International last week, was immediately named a runner at Leopardstown.
An international classification for jump horses could be in place by the end of the season.
The Turf Club has agreed to pursue the proposal, in consultation with the British Horseracing Board, which would result in ratings for horses trained in Ireland and Britain.
