Ground conditions could dictate whether it will be ‘feast or famine’ for Dermot Weld’s chances of filling the sole blank on his Irish big-race CV after the legendary trainer confirmed he currently plans to run both Harzand and Fascinating Rock in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes.
The €1.25 million centrepiece to Irish Champions Weekend is the sole Group One race in Ireland which doesn’t feature Weld on its roll-of-honour.
However he dominates ante-post betting on this renewal of the prestigious event with the dual-Derby hero Harzand as low as evens favourite in some lists while the top older horse Fascinating Rock is a general 5-1 second best.
Weather considerations have dominated the run-up to the Champion Stakes in the past, including last year when Gleneagles was a late withdrawal due to ground conditions turning too soft for him. The weather looks set to again potentially play a vital role in the final line-up this time.
Little give
“The plan, in an ideal world, is that both Fascinating Rock and Harzand will run in the Irish Champion Stakes. Everyone knows both of them appreciate a little give and if that’s the case at
Leopardstown
then both will run.
"If it isn't then there are obvious alternatives with Harzand going to the Arc and Fascinating Rock heading for the Champion Stakes at Ascot which he won last year," Weld said.
Harzand memorably added the Epsom Derby to the trainer’s glittering international CV in June and has been pleasing connections after returning from a short break in the wake of his Irish Derby defeat of Idaho in June.
“I’ve been very happy with his preparation and he is what he is, a very tough, courageous colt,” said Weld who was pleased with Fascinating Rock’s return to action when runner-up to Success Days in Sunday’s Royal Whip Stakes.
“I was very pleased with that. He’s a big heavy horse and always takes a run so his performance was good in a race which had some very highly rated horses involved. It’s a pity he had to carry 10st in such a race. In the circumstances it would have been better to carry 9.10. But it was a very good run,” he added.
Zhukova is another of Weld’s Champion Stakes entry but he indicated the Blue Wind winning filly is more likely to contest the KPMG Enterprise Stakes on the same card, a race Fascinating Rock won last year.
Free Eagle’s luckless third behind Golden Horn in 2015 is reflective of Weld’s overall fortunes in the Irish Champion Stakes to date but that could be about to change in less than three weeks’ time – if the weather Gods play ball.
Weld is a seven-times winner of the Palmerstown House Irish St Leger but the Day Two feature of the Champions Weekend action looks to be dominated by the defending champion, Order Of St George, who scored in impressive fashion at the Curragh on Saturday.
Cross-channel trainer Peter Niven is considering a tilt at the race with his stalwart stayer, Clever Cookie, winner of the Yorkshire Cup in May but who disappointed last week behind Quest For More in the Lonsdale.
“He was just a bit flat. They doddled along at the front and off that kind of pace, against good horses, it isn’t easy to make up ground. He’ll either go for the Doncaster Cup or the Irish Leger,” Niven said.
“He seems well, he’s eaten up, and we’ll train him for Doncaster or Ireland now and hope he shapes better,” he added.
