Alflaila earns inclusion for renowned Irish Champion Stakes

Alflaila Set for Group One Debut at Leopardstown

Excitement is building as Alflaila aims to make his mark in the world of horse racing by competing in his first ever Group One race. The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown is where this thrilling showdown will take place on Saturday.

After a successful campaign last season, which included victories in a Listed prize at Pontefract and two Group Three races at York and Newmarket, Alflaila has shown tremendous potential. Trained by Owen Burrows, this talented colt made an impressive comeback after being sidelined for nine months when he stormed to victory in the prestigious Group Two York Stakes back in July.

The decision to supplement Alflaila for the Irish Champion Stakes came with a hefty price tag of €75,000. However, it was deemed worth it by Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold who expressed their eagerness for this new challenge.

“We had the option of running him in the Juddmonte International alongside Mostahdaf, but we decided not to pit our top contenders against each other,” explained Gold.

Originally not entered into the Irish Champion Stakes due to a minor injury towards the end of last year and absence from track appearances during entry nominations, circumstances have now changed and it makes perfect sense for Alflaila to participate.

This highly competitive event marks day one of the esteemed Irish Champions Festival, and while the race field will be filled with top-class contenders, Alflaila’s connections are confident in their decision to take this leap.

However, the prestigious Irish Champion Stakes will unfortunately not feature Mostahdaf. The winner of York’s Juddmonte International has been withdrawn from the 10-furlong showdown after careful consideration by Shadwell. Instead, they plan to give him some rest before potentially competing at Ascot for the Champion Stakes or considering a bid at the Breeders’ Cup Turf if weather conditions permit.

Strong Contenders Await Alflaila

A total of 13 horses remain in contention for the Irish Champion Stakes, including Nashwa trained by John and Thady Gosden. Nashwa finished as runner-up to stablemate Mostahdaf at York and is set to represent Britain alongside Alflaila.

Roger Varian’s King Of Steel also comes into this race with high hopes following his impressive third-place finish in the King George. Meanwhile, Sir Michael Stoute could saddle Bay Bridge and William Haggas may send My Prospero as potential challengers.

The formidable Aidan O’Brien stable has narrowed down their representation to four horses – last year’s winner Luxembourg, dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin, Broome, and Point Lonsdale.

Other hopefuls include French raider Onesto trained by Fabrice Chappet; Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa; Jessica Harrington’s Sprewell; and John Murphy’s White Birch.

Matron Stakes Showdown

In addition to the Irish Champion Stakes excitement on Saturday at Leopardstown, there is another thrilling Group One event taking place -The Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes. Trainer Dermot Weld has an impressive hand in this one-mile contest.

Weld’s Homeless Songs, who hasn’t run since April, could make her long-awaited return to the track in this race. She might be joined by stablemate Tahiyra, who already clinched victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier this year.

The contenders list also includes Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve and Paddy Twomey’s Just Beautiful among a total of 21 potential runners.

KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes

The KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes is another eagerly anticipated race on Saturday’s card at Leopardstown. Interestingly, it seems like the O’Brien family dominates the entries for this event.

Joseph O’Brien has made an intriguing addition to his roster by supplementing Atlantic Coast after its impressive maiden win at Curragh. Aidan O’Brien himself fields Diego Velazquez – a talented colt sired by Frankel – and Chief Little Rock hopes to continue his success after a course and distance win.