Irish Champion Stakes holds no fears for Ghaiyyath

The Charlie Appleby trained Ghaiyyath has taken Flat racing by storm with four scintillating performances since the beginning of the year and looks set for another top-notch performance in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday 12 September if given the green light to participate later this week.

The five-year-old son of Dubawi hasn’t seen another rival in three straight victories at the highest level in the UK this summer. The relentless galloper won the re-scheduled Coronation Cup at Newmarket in early June when he left Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck and top class stayer Stradivarius in his wake.

Next it was the turn of wonder mare Enable to taste defeat at the hands of Ghaiyyath when he gave her 3 lbs and a two lengths beating in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. Most recently the Godolphin owned entire put another top-class mare, Magical, in her place with a three lengths success in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

The bookmakers quote Ghaiyyath at odds of 5/4 to continue his dominance of the middle-distance races with victory in Ireland. His closest rival according to latest betting prices is the Aidan O’Brien trained Magical at 7/2 but the mare will surely struggle to bridge the York gap over the same distance and at the same weights. The best bookmaker offers can be found over at betting sites Ireland.

Magical won the Irish Champion Stakes last year when she led home a memorable 1-2-3 for her stable, beating Magic Wand and Anthony Van Dyck.

A number of quality Irish-trained three-year-olds are in the mix for the €750,000 prize pool including the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin and the fillies Alpine Star trained by Jessica Harrington and Fancy Blue in the care of Donnacha O’Brien.

The Aidan O’Brien trained Love, arguably the best three-year-old around this year, is unlikely to line up for the Leopardstown race. The Classic generation have a very good record in the Irish Champion Stakes but it is difficult to see any of them lay a glove on Ghaiyyath if he is allowed to dominate the race from the front.

Leopardstown wouldn’t be renowned as a front runners track and there is the possibility that Ghaiyyath may not have it all his own way up front in Ireland but such has been his dominance this season that anything other than victory would be a surprise.