Racing News and preview: With quick ground looking more and more likely for Saturday's Baileys Irish Champion Stakes Azamour remains a general odds-on favourite to become the first double winner of the race. The John Oxx-trained colt is a 4 to 5 shot with Paddy Power after a total of 12 horses were left in the Group One highlight at yesterday's forfeit stage.
They include the Derby winner, Motivator, and his stable companion, Temple Place, who is set to carry out pace-making duties if the English star makes his first overseas trip.
Motivator also holds an entry in Sunday's Prix Niel at Longchamp, a traditional trial for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe next month, but the Irish option remains favourite if the ground at Leopardstown is not too fast. Watering began at the Co Dublin track yesterday morning on ground that was officially described as firm.
"The forecast is for dry weather but on Thursday and Friday a front is supposed to hit the north and west of the country. If we got some of that it might change things but we're told at the moment that the chances of it hitting Dublin are remote. You would back against it at this stage," said Leopardstown racing manager Tom Burke yesterday.
If no rain falls, then the current plan is to water the track up to and including Friday with safe ground being the primary aim.
Harry Herbert, the manager of the Royal Ascot Racing Club that owns Motivator, has already stated that the star three-year-old won't run if the word firm appears in the going description.
"We want to get good or good to firm ground. We want to make sure it is perfectly safe. I don't think anyone wants to get too hung up on terminology. Everyone will have to make up their own mind and make a call as they find it," Burke added yesterday.
Currently Motivator's trainer Michael Bell is scheduled to travel to Ireland to inspect the Leopardstown track tomorrow.
If he does give the thumbs up for Motivator to run then Frankie Dettori will be on board and attempting to win the Champion Stakes for the fifth time.
The Italian superstar won it four out of five times between 1998 and 2002 and only Michael Kinane, who is currently on the sidelines with a fractured wrist, can beat that having won out on six occasions.
Last year's runner-up Norse Dancer is another English hope while Grey Swallow, who ran fourth in 2004, is another who would not relish ground conditions being too fast.
Jim Bolger has left his Nassau Stakes winner Alexander Goldrun in the Champion Stakes as well as the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes on the same card. A total of 14 remain in the fillies race including Mona Lisa who, like Alexander Goldrun, also has the Champion Stakes option as well Sunday's Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.
Aidan O'Brien's Oratorio is a likely Champion Stakes starter and the Ballydoyle trainer also looks to dominate Saturday's Doncaster St Leger with the hot favourite Scorpion and Avalon, who will be ridden by his former stable jockey Jamie Spencer.
Just seven horses were left in the Leger yesterday and the bookmakers believe O'Brien is in line for a third success in the Classic after Milan in 2001 and Brian Boru two years ago.
Galway's September Festival winds up this afternoon and punters can kick off on a good note if Daliya can make it a hat-trick of wins in the apprentice maiden for trainer John Oxx.
Daliya has a bit to find on ratings with Striking Force but ran a nice first race of the season behind Undercover Glamour at Gowran a couple of weeks ago.
Duke Of Milan looked a likely Dermot Weld special for the first juvenile maiden of the big July festival here on the strength of a good debut behind Horatio Nelson at the Curragh. He didn't run then but gets the chance to score at Ballybrit today.
Shaykhan is a course and distance winner who could go well in the mile handicap while the form of Stolen Light's course win was boosted by Cnoc An Einn on Sunday and Nina Carberry can double up in the bumper.
IRISH CHAMPION STAKES BETTING
Paddy Power: 4-5 Azamour, 5-2 Motivator, 5 Oratorio, 11-2 Grey Swallow, 12 Ace and Norse Dancer, 16 Alexander Goldrun, 66 Mona Lisa, Hazarista, Mustameet and Lord Admiral, 200 Temple Place.
