Australia to face 11 rivals in prestigious Champions Weekend feature renewal

With just three days to Champions Weekend it’s a case of all present and correct as The Grey Gatsby’s €75,000 supplementary into the €1 million Qipco Irish Champion Stakes gives Kevin Ryan’s French Derby winner another crack at the raging hot favourite Australia this Saturday.

A maximum field of a dozen is in line for the most valuable contest in a €3.7 million weekend that will be marked by five Group One races staged between Leopardstown and the Curragh.

However, the remarkable prize money on offer throughout the weekend was illustrated by the strength in depth of yesterday’s forfeit stage when 362 entries were made for the 16 races up for grabs although the dual-Derby hero Australia remains the undoubted headline act among a star-studded list of possible starters in Irish racing’s new shop-window event.

A vital international component has been confirmed with confirmation that four cross-channel trained horses are in line to take on Australia including The Grey Gatsby.

The 6 to 1 second favourite chased home Australia in last month’s Juddmonte International at York but connections haven’t hesitated to splash the cash in order to secure the the Prix du Jockey Club winner another crack at Aidan O’Brien’s superstar colt.

“It was an easy decision to make and everything now depends on the ground,” said Ryan. “He ran a great race last time. Australia is a fantastic racehorse but we’ll see what happens.”

Yorkshire-based Ryan has secured a handful of Group One victories in his career between Britain and France but the Co Tipperary native has yet to hit the top-flight bullseye in Ireland although sprinters Benbaun, Tiddliwinks and Desert Lord have scored at Group Three level here.

Bookmakers, however, reckon The Grey Gatsby

– as well as Al Kazeem, Noble Mission and Mukhadram – face a mammoth task in overturning Australia who has been installed a 2 to 7 favourite by some firms. Australia's jockey Joseph O'Brien has always possessed huge confidence in the regally-bred colt and nothing appears to have changed his mind.

“He has progressed from each run and looks to be getting better,” said Ireland’s champion jockey yesterday. “It was his first run back after a break at York and he seems to have come on for that. I’ve sat on him a few times since and he feels brilliant. Riding a horse like him is a joy. I can just see the race unfold and take a position.”

O’Brien also acknowledged how much is being staked on the new Champions Weekend concept in terms of an international and domestic audience: “Hopefully we will get crowds. We want to get people to come and see the best horses, trainers and jockeys in the world here at home,” he said.

The Dermot Weld-trained Alkasser, last seen in a six-furlong handicap in June, was a surprise supplementary entry into the Champion Stakes in which owner Sheikh Hamdan’s number one contender is the Eclipse winner Mukhadram.

Aidan O’Brien has four other entries in the Champion and is likely to be represented by Tapestry in Saturday’s other Group One, the Coolmore Matron Stakes, for which 15 remain, including Coronation Stakes winner Rizeena as well as two from France, Kenhope and Thawaany.

The champion trainer’s impact on Sunday’s Curragh card will also be considerable with Leading Light a warm favourite for the Palmerstown House Irish St Leger and Found supplemented into the Moyglare Stud Stakes yesterday. O’Brien also has half of the dozen entries left in the Goffs National Stakes, headed by Gleneagles and Highland Reel.

There will be one British runner in the National Stakes as Charlie Hills has confirmed the Acomb winner Dutch Connection. “His form looks stronger and stronger all the time so we’re looking forward to it,” he said.

Coolmore's old rivals Godolphin have a strong hand left in the Leger with a trio that includes the controversial 2012 English Leger winner Encke. The colt famously denied Camelot the Triple Crown but was subsequently banned from competition after former trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni was warned off for eight years for anabolic steroid abuse, including giving the performance enhancing drug to Encke.

Weld has warned that Leger second-favourite Forgotten Rules will miss the race if ground conditions are too quick. The going at Leopardstown and the Curragh yesterday was officially “good to firm.” Watering of the round course at headquarters began yesterday. Leopardstown officials confirmed they plan to water selectively this week as required.

Final declarations for the Saturday card will take place tomorrow morning.

Fourteen contenders remain in the big juvenile fillies event, the Moyglare, and Roger Varian’s Albany Stakes winner Cursory Glance is in line to try and go one better than when runner up in last month’s Lowther at York. PADDY POWER: 2-7 Australia, 6 The Grey Gatsby, 8 Noble Mission, 10 Magician, Mukhadram, 12 Trading Leather, 20 Al Kazeem, Adelaide, 25 Hall Of Mirrors, 33 Parish Hall, 50 Alkasser, Kingfisher