Delacroix (IRE). (Healy Racing Photo c/o focusonracing.com)
Three Breeders’ Cup Challenge Berths on the Line During Irish Champions Day at Leopardstown
Breeders’ Cup Release
LEOPARDSTOWN, Ireland ― Three exciting races in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In will take place at Leopardstown on Saturday as part of Irish Champions Weekend, led by Coral Eclipse (G1) winner Delacroix (IRE) in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1).
The winner will gain an automatic berth into the $5 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) through the Challenge Series, an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
Two other “Win and You’re In” berths will also be awarded at Leopardstown. The winner of the Matron Stakes (G1) will earn an automatic starting position into the $2 million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and the winner of the Champions Juvenile Stakes (G2) will earn a free spot into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes
The Aidan O’Brien trained Delacroix is a short-priced favorite for Saturday, having finished second to Ombudsman (IRE) in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) – a Challenge Series race – last time out, and ninth in the Epsom Derby (G1) in June. John and Thady Gosden opted not to run Ombudsman, who finished second to Delacroix in the Coral Eclipse (G1), in the 1 1/4-mile feature race.
Delacroix, a son of Dubawi (IRE), has winning course and distance form at Leopardstown after landing consecutive Group 3 events earlier this season – first in the Ballysax Stakes (G3), beating eventual Derby winner and stablemate Lambourn (IRE), and second in the Derby Trial Stakes (G3) in May. Leading French jockey Christophe Soumillon takes the ride.
Last year’s QIPCO Champions Stakes (G1) winner Anmaat (IRE) finished second to Ombudsman in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot last time out for trainer Owen Burrows. Shadwell Estate Company Ltd.’s 7-year-old has only been seen twice this season due to the dry summer, so conditions are in his favor with the ground being described as soft, yielding to soft, in places.
The J P Murtagh-trained Zahrann (IRE),second to Amiloc (GB) in the King Edward VII Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot before landing the Curragh’s Royal Whip Stakes (G3) over 1 1/4 miles last time out, steps up to Group 1 company for the first time.
On the colt’s chances in Saturday’s feature race, jockey Ben Coen said: “He handled the ground at Ascot, but it was very firm, so it probably was a little quicker than ideal. Looking at the forecast for the weekend, it should end up lovely ground.
“He won at Leopardstown over a mile and a half during the summer when he quickened well off a slow pace. He was impressive and it’s always a bonus when they’ve been around the track and won.”
Shin Emperor (FR), third in last year’s renewal forJapan-basedtrainer Yoshito Yahagi, has also been declared. The 4-year-old son of Siyouni (FR) went on to win the Neom Turf Cup (G2) at Riyadh’s Saudi Cup meeting this February and will be partnered by regular jockey Ryusei Sakai.
The multiple Group winning 5-year-old White Birch (GB), who also has winning course and distance form at Leopardstown for trainer John Joseph Murphy, was last seen finishing fourth to Los Angeles (IRE) in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) at The Curragh. He is seeking his second Group 1, having beaten 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Auguste Rodin (IRE) in last year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup.
George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father John, said: “White Birch is training very well, seems in super form and goes to Leopardstown. We couldn’t be happier with him.
“We were hoping to run in the Royal Whip before Leopardstown, but the ground went against us so we decided to skip that and the plan was then to go straight to Leopardstown.
“The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc has been the target, especially given, on the law of averages, you’ve a better chance of getting suitable ground that time of year. We don’t want firm in the going description; good ground would be fine.”
Fellow 7-year-old Royal Champion (IRE), winner of the York Stakes (G2) last time out, is set to compete at the top level on Saturday, having been declared by Karl Burke. Hotazhell (GB),fourth last time out in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1) for trainer Mrs. John Harrington,and Mount Kilimanjaro (FR), trained by Aidan O’Brien, complete the eight-horse field.
Field of 11 Declared for Matron Stakes
Wathnan Racing’s English and Irish Classic winning filly Fallen Angel (GB) is the star among 11 fillies set to start in the 1-mile Matron Stakes for a free berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The Karl Burke trained 4-year-old daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) finished second in last year’s renewal and looks to go one better Saturday. The Yorkshire based filly won the Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville last month, beating the Aidan O’Brien-trained runner-up January (IRE), who has also been declared.
On Fallen Angel’s chances, Burke said: “I think she’ll go there with a great chance. Any juice in the ground would be to her advantage as well. Faster ground would be slightly against her but the addition of sheepskins has helped her as well. She’s not an ungenuine filly, she just needs to concentrate.
“At the moment, she’s in great form.”
Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael B. Tabor’s January has finished second in two consecutive Group 1 events – the Prix Rothschild (G1) and Newmarket’s Falmouth Stakes (G1) in July.
Prior to that, the daughter of Kingman (GB) finished third to Group 1-winning Cercene (IRE) – also declared for Saturday – in theCoronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June. Shane R. Stafford’s Cercene, trained by Joseph G. Murphy, finished second to Whirl (IRE) in the Nassau Stakes (G1) at Goodwood – a “Win and You’re In” race.
Amo Racing Limited’s Cathedral (GB) – who recently moved stables and is now trained by Kevin Philippart de Foy – finished fourth to Cercene in the Coronation. The daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) went on to finish second in the Prix Chloe (G3) at Chantilly in July.
The Donnacha O’Brien-trained Atsila (IRE), the Aidan O’Brien-trained Exactly (IRE), John James Feane trainee Vera’s Secret (IRE), Duckadilly (IRE), California Dreamer (GB), Sparks Fly (GB), and Queen Of Thunder (IRE) complete the field.
Five Declared for Champions Juvenile Stakes
Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerberg’s Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) is favored for the 1-mile Champions Juvenile Stakes, which awards the winner a free berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
The son of Frankel was an impressive winner in his second start, running over a mile at Killarney, having finished second to Dorset (IRE) at The Curragh on June 28. Benvenuto Cellini is one of two runners in the race for Aidan O’Brien, with Montreal (IRE), a son of Sea The Stars (IRE), who has course and distance form, having won an EBF Maiden last month.
Joseph O’Brien has also declared two colts: Hardy Warrior (IRE),who beat Montreal to win an EBF Maiden in July after finishing fourth to Benvenuto Cellini on his first start for Millennium Stud Sp. z o.o., and outsiderNil Bua Gan Dua (USA) – a son of U.S. Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner American Pharoah – who finished fourth at The Curragh in his only start to date.
The all-Irish trained field is completed by Donnacha O’Brien trainee A Boy Named Susie (IRE), who finished fourth in in the Futurity Stakes (G2) over 7 furlongs at The Curragh last month.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes winner to start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, the winner of the of the Matron Stakes to start in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and for the winner of the Champions Juvenile Stakes to start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated by the Oct. 20 Breeders’ Cup pre-entry deadline in order to receive the rewards.
