Irish Champions Weekend: Best bet, each-way selection and treble
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Leopardstown's Irish Champions Weekend card features three Group 1s on Saturday, the first of which is the 1m1f Golden Fleece Stakes, followed by the Matron Stakes for fillies and mares, and the day's main event; the €1,250,000 Irish Champion Stakes.
The Curragh hosts the action on Sunday, with four top-level races to look forward to. This season's best juveniles get to prove themselves in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the National Stakes, with the Flying Five Stakes and the Irish St Leger also on the agenda.
We have got you covered, so here is everything you need to know about the top class meetings heading your way in Ireland this weekend!
Saturday - Key info
First race: 13:35 Ingabelle Stakes
Feature race: 17:00 Irish Champion Stakes
We get underway with a Listed race for fillies; the Ingabelle Stakes (13:35), followed by the very competitive Sovereign Path Handicap (14:10) and the Golden Fleece Stakes (14:45).
Group 3 action is next on the agenda, with the 1m4f Kilternan Stakes (15:15) and the Matron Stakes (15:55) follows.
Do not miss the Solonoway Stakes (16:25) or the Champion Stakes (17:00) which is the big race of the day.
Handicaps close out the card with the Petingo Handicap (17:35) over 1m5f and the fillies get their chance in the Autumn Fillies Handicap (18:10) over an extended mile.
Sunday - Key info
First race: 13:45 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
Feature race: 16:35 Irish St. Leger
The action gets underway at the Curragh on Sunday with the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap (13:45) and there is a big prize on offer for the Super Auction Sales Stakes (14:15).
Our first Group 1 of the day is the Moyglare Stud Stakes (14:50), where Sun Goddess heads the field and the speedsters are unleashed in the Flying Five Stakes (15:25) over 5f.
One of the most important juvenile races of the year; the National Stakes (16:00) is next up and the day's main event is the Irish St. Leger (16:35), potentially featuring Scandinavia.
We have the Group 2 Blandford Stakes (17:10) as our penultimate race and Irish Champions Weekend comes to a conclusion with the €150,000 Northfields Handicap (17:45).
Best bet of the weekend
Blue Bolt to win the Matron Stakes (15:55) @ 5/4
There is still value on offer for favourite backers here, as it is difficult to make a case for any of BLUE BOLT's rivals on this occasion.
Andrew Balding is having an excellent season and that is in part due to her emergence as the leading miler in the fillies & mares division.
Working her way up the ladder this season, she won at Listed level on seasonal debut and improved to win a Royal Ascot Group 2 well on her next start.
Precise was no match for her in the Falmouth Stakes and she confirmed that dominance when beating her in France.
It is Aidan O'Brien's Precise who is the next best in the field and it is hard to see her turning the tables, which suggests that the rest of the runners also have their work cut out for them.
Best each-way bet of the weekend
Aix La Chapelle in the Golden Fleece Stakes (14:45) @ 20/1
Ballydoyle have done well with the progeny of Justify in recent years and the impeccably bred AIX LA CHAPELLE has the potential to become a more than useful sort.
Out of the two-time Group 1 winner Immortal Verse, he is certainly bred to compete at this level.
He made his debut at the Curragh in June and did very well to win from a pretty poor position.
Stablemate Giant Sequoia was back in third, and he has since gone on to win the Group 2 Futurity Stakes, adding further substance to the form.
It is reasonable to assume that he might have needed the run at Leopardstown last time out and plenty went wrong that day.
The step up in trip will help if he takes after his father and it is definitely too early to give up on him.
Leopardstown acca
There will be loads of opportunities to find some winners in Ireland this weekend and to give you a head start, here are three horses with big chances to consider putting into a treble.
Bet 1: Back Krasimir to win the Sovereign Path Handicap (14:10) @ 13/2
Ger Lyons' Krasimir was third in a valuable York Handicap and connections clearly fancy him in this company.
Bet 2: Back Blue Bolt to win the Matron Stakes (15:55) @ 5/4
It is a bit of a surprise to see that Andrew Balding's filly is odds-against here, as she has proven herself to be comfortably the best horse in this division.
Bet 3: Back Constitution River to win the Irish Champion Stakes (17:00) @ 6/4
It is fair to say that connections adore this son of Wootton Bassett and he produced excellent performances to win the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly and the Eclipse at Sandown.
Put a line through his most recent run, as he is well set to redeem himself here.
