Dermot Weld keeping options open for Irish Champion Stakes

Dermot Weld will leave decisions on vital running plans for Saturday's QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes until later this week.

The prospect of dry and exceptionally warm weather for much of this week might be good news for most, but Weld has made no secret about both the dual Derby winner Harzand and the double Group One winner Fascinating Rock ideally requiring some give in the ground for the €1.25 million feature of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

Conditions at Leopardstown are currently quick and the weather forecast is for a largely dry week with warm and humid weather and temperatures reaching 24 degrees, before the possibility of weekend showers.

The Champion Stakes is the one glaring blank in Weld’s illustrious Irish Group One CV and although the weather outlook and the likely presence of the star filly Minding in the race has seen Harzand lose his position as antepost favourite, the Curragh trainer is happy to play his cards late.

“The plan is to run both horses, but the warm weather forecast is obviously a concern,” Weld said on Sunday. “They’re pretty accurate these days, and it looks like being very humid, particularly at night, for the first four days of the week. Clearly that’s not ideal for us.

“But it is September, so you never know, and we will review things later in the week. I’m very satisfied with both horses. They will do their final pieces of work on Tuesday and then we will know more.”

Alternative

A possible alternative Arc de Triomphe warm-up for Harzand in Chantilly’s Prix Niel on Sunday has already been outlined, while Fascinating Rock could wait to defend his English Champion Stakes title next month if he skips Leopardstown.

“It’s much too early to be making predictions. At the moment, nothing is in and nothing is out. We will review it all later in the week,” Weld said.

After 12mm of rain on Saturday, the going at the Curragh, which will host day two of the €4.25 million Champions Weekend extravaganza, is currently good, with good-to-firm patches on the round track over which the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger will be run.

Willie Mullins has indicated that his Melbourne Cup runner-up Max Dynamite is set to swerve the race, while the star British filly Simple Verse could remain at home for Doncaster's Park Hill Stakes.

As a result, ahead of tomorrow’s declaration stage, the St Leger picture looks set to be dominated by the defending champion, Order of St George, already a hot 2-5 favourite.

Favourite

Paddy Power reckons Aidan O’Brien will have an even hotter Group One favourite on Sunday, installing Churchill as its 1-4 favourite for the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.

Power’s betting for the Curragh’s third top-flight prize, the Moyglare Stud Stakes, is also dominated by the champion trainer with the Debutante Stakes winner, Rhododendron, a 13-8 favourite ahead of Ballydoyle stable companions Promise To Be True and Hydrangea.

News of a dry week is welcome for cross-channel trainer David Evans, who is considering sending Gracious John for the Group Two Flying Five at the Curragh. Gracious John was a beaten favourite on his last trip to Ireland at Tipperary, but Evans believes that was due to unsuitable going.

“He hated the soft ground at Tipperary. I knew after a furlong he was struggling to handle it . . . He’s a good horse and has filled out so much, but he just can’t get his feet out of the soft ground,” Evans said.

“ We might look to go to Doncaster with him if the ground is right on Wednesday, but we could also go back to Ireland for a go at the Curragh race.”