Luxembourg (7/2) beat Onesto, Vadeni and Mishriff to win the Group One Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday; Aidan O'Brien's colt now 6/1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp next month
Saturday 10 September 2022 17:58, UK
Luxembourg is back in the big time after winning the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore.
Forced to miss the Derby with a setback after finishing third in the 2000 Guineas, the Camelot colt travelled in mid-division in the 10-furlong showpiece after starting at 7/2, allowing stablemate Stone Age to take a clear early lead before clicking into gear two furlongs from home.
After reeling Stone Age in, Luxembourg swept to the front and came out on top in battle with Grand Prix de Paris winner Onesto to prevail by half a length, on his second run back after returning at the Curragh last month.
Fellow French raider Vadeni (7/4 favourite) did not have the clearest of passages in third, ahead of Mishriff in fourth.
A delighted O'Brien said: "It was unbelievable from a lot of people [to get the horse back] and Ryan gave him an incredible ride. We felt going to the Curragh [for the Royal Whip] that he was only ready for a racecourse gallop.
"He couldn't come here unless he'd had a race, and that's why we were so happy with him at the Curragh. He had 20 to 30 per cent to improve from the Curragh, and you usually don't run a race in a Group race like that.
"The plan and the dream was, if we could get him back, we'd mapped out three races for him - if we could get him to the Curragh he could come here and if he came here he could go to the Arc. The pace was solid and it was an even pace. He's obviously a very good horse.
"Ryan nearly fell off him in the Guineas [after stumbling leaving the stalls] and he was only beaten a couple of lengths. He had to be a bit different to do what he did in the Guineas.
"He wasn't surrendering at the line today and he could be better over a mile and a half. His head was in the cooker a long way up that straight and he didn't stop.
"Ryan was very impressed and he's not an optimist by nature! Usually if he's a little bit impressed that will do.
"I don't think we have had an atmosphere at a Flat meeting in Ireland like this in a long time. He got applauded as he went out which is very rare."
Moore said: "It was a good, fair race. He's beaten some good three-year-olds, some good older horses, he always felt like he was in control of the race.
"He went a bit green when he first went there and in the last furlong, the Frankel horse, Onesto, he was always there but I always felt I had him. It was a very professional, but very likeable performance."
The colt is now a 6/1 chance for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Coral and, like O'Brien, Moore has few doubts about his ability to see out a mile and a half.
"He was comfortable at 10 [furlongs] today, I always felt that if I had to ask for a bit more, he would have found a bit more," he said. "I wouldn't say a mile and a half would be a problem."
Pearls Galore made all of the running to triumph under Billy Lee in the Coolmore America "Justify" Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
An outsider at 16/1, Paddy Twomey's filly hardly saw another rival as she set the pace from the front throughout the one-mile Group One contest.
Jane Chapple-Hyam's Saffron Beach plugged away in her slipstream but neither she, nor the third-placed horse Tenebrism, could pass the winner.
Eventually prevailing by three lengths, Pearls Galore went one better than her second-placed run in the same race last year, where she was beaten a neck by No Speak Alexander
Auguste Rodin was an impressive winner of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Deep Impact colt was the 11/10 favourite for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien, travelling behind the leading pair in the early stages of the one-mile Group Two contest.
Having inched into the race he took up the lead at the furlong marker, holding off all four rivals to cross the line a length and a half ahead of runner-up Caroline Street. The winner's stablemate Tower Of London had taken them along with Serious Challenge, but dropped away tamely in the straight.
Auguste Rodin could head next to Doncaster or Newmarket and was cut from 16/1 to 12/1 with Coral for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby.
"He could be a Vertem Futurity or Dewhurst horse, he has plenty of class and quality and will probably sharpen up a lot from the race," O'Brien said.
"We thought he could be the type of horse who could do both [2000 Guineas and Derby], he could be a Derby horse that could start in the Guineas. He could end up a middle-distance horse, a mile and a quarter horse that could get a mile and a half. But a mile, mile-and-a-quarter horse we thought."
There was British-trained one-two in the €150,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Sovereign Path" Handicap at Leopardstown, with the Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained I'm A Gambler holding off the late charge of John Quinn's Safe Voyage.
Ridden by Tom Marquand, I'm A Gambler - last seen finishing fifth in the Group Three Supreme Stakes at Goodwood - was never far from the pace, while in contrast Safe Voyage and Jason Hart had to make up lots of ground from the rear having been drawn in stall 19.
Half a length was the official margin for the 181 shot, and Marquand - making his first ride at the Dublin track a winning one - said: "I'm obviously getting a bit lucky with these Irish tracks coming over and having a first go round, but to be fair we had all the help there with a good draw.
"He was nice and relaxed in behind the lead and got a good run through when we needed it. The track rode a bit sharper than I'd imagined from watching it."
Zarinsk landed the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
The Ger Lyons-trained filly won a good maiden at the Curragh in May and was then fourth in both her following runs, the Airlie Stud Stakes and the Silver Flash Stakes, Group Two and three contests respectively.
Down in grade and a 9/2 chance in the hands of Colin Keane, the Juddmonte-owned two-year-old ran prominently on the inside rail and broke away from Aidan O'Brien's Library (2/1 favourite) to prevail by two lengths.
Newtown Anner Stud could afford to wait calmly for the outcome of a photo finish in the Group Three Paddy Power Stakes as they owned both of the horses involved.
The Lyons-trained Thunder Kiss had taken up the lead in the home straight and galloped for home, but was pursued by Beamish and Dermot Weld's 6/1 chance Duke De Sessa.
The latter horse was gaining ground as the line loomed and the naked eye could not split them as they passed the post, with a photo eventually confirming Weld's runner had prevailed and Thunder Kiss was the runner-up.
