The Champion Stakes
The feature race this Sunday in Ireland is The Champion Stakes (G1) which will be held over a mile and a quarter on the turf. The Group I race has a total prize purse of $1,500,00 and is open to three-year-olds and up. Despite some showers earlier in the week, the track looks like it will come up firm for race day and the race has drawn a thirteen horse field. Let’s take a look through the contenders of this year’s race.
- Megaforma (KY) – frankster – D. Evans – 9/1
Drawing the inside rail, the six-year-old horse is by American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The bay horse has won over two million in lifetime earnings and will be making his twenty-sixth career start this weekend. The most recent start for the horse came in Japan during the Kakarakuza Kinen Cup (G1) at a mile and three-eighths this past June. The horse was held back in eighth at the start and not given the room to run until the field reached the stretch. He would close late but finish third, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. The horse’s last victory came in July of last year during the Man O’ War Stakes (G1) over the same distance in the United States. Out of the gate in sixth, the horse would make his move earlier, finding himself in fourth midway through the race. He would win the contest by two and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve.
2. Rosa Agrestis (GB) – moonface3 – R. Whisper – 13/1
Returning to group company after a step down in class, the six-year-old bay horse is by Mohaather and has accumulated lifetime earings of just under half a million dollars. A Group II winner, the horse has surpassed his dam who was a listed stakes winner, though this is her only group winning offspring. The most recent start for the horse was in a listed stakes race in England earlier this month at nine and a half furlongs. Breaking in sixth, the horse would quickly be overtaken by other contenders and would back up to cross the wire in thirteenth, setting a speed figure of ninety seven. His most recent win was in March during The Hardcourt (G2) at a mile and one quarter in France. The horse ran in a similar fashion with coming out of the gate in sixth, but started advancing midway through the race to win by one and a half lengths with a speed figure of one hundred twelve.
3. Acuustic Kitty (KY)– 2wide – W. Kewmwa – 8/1
One of only two horses in the race bred in the United States the five-year-old chestnut horse is by the late Kitten’s Joy and will be making his twenty-fifth career start. Most recently racing in early July during The Princess Of Whales (G2) at a mile and a half in England. Breaking out of the gate and settling into third, the horse started loosing ground on the rest of the field early, eventually fading to sixth, twenty-one and three-quarter lengths off the pace from the winner. The month prior however, he would go to the gate in The Prince Of Whales (G1) at a mile and one-quarter over a yeilding course. Out of the gate in ninth, he wouldn’t start to advance on the rest of the field until halfway through the race. He would eventually go on to win by two and a half lengths while posting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen.
4. Tremor Awakes (AUS) – cork2 – GD Mate – 40/1
Making his group stakes debut with this race, the Australian-bred four-year-old is a son of St. Mark’s Basilica and is out of an allowance-winning broodmare. The most recent start for the bay colt was in England over nine furlongs during an allowance race. Leaving the gate to settle into seventh, the colt charged late down the stretch to cross the wire in second while setting a speed figure of one hundred five. His most recent win came when he broke his maiden in November of last year over twelve furlongs in France with a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred eight. This will be the colt’s first start against any company greater than allowance, having leapfrogged the listed condition and coming straight into group company for this race. He will be off as the morning line longshot.
5. Selfish Rage (GB) – asrfrankel – Z. Kentucky – 19/1
Starting in his eighteenth career start this weekend, the four-year-old bay colt most recently started last month in England during the Global Connections Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs. The son of top sire Frankel (GB) exited the gaes towards the back of the field in eleventh. He wasn’t asked for speed until the field reached the stretch but only responded enough to cross the wire in nineth, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. His most recent win would be this past June during an allowane race at nine furlongs in South Africa. The colt was more forwardly placed in this race but did not make a move once again until the field entered the stretch. The colt would win this race by half a length.
6. Bragi Kiz (JPN) – musse1 – J. Ledwith – 12/1
Also returning to group company, the Japanese-bred will be making his eighteenth lifetime start on Sunday. The four-year-old bay colt most recently started in the UAE during a listed stakes race over eight and a half furlongs. Breakout out of the gate and settling into sixth he would start to challenge other runners halfway through the contest, ultimately crossing the wire in fourth, though setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. His most recent win was in his prior start against allowance company in May over a mile. He would run in the same fashion in this race, winning by a length. His most recent start against group company was in August of last year during The Fustenberg (G3) at a mile and a quarter in Germany in which he would finish eighth.
7. Charmoso (JPN) – lulu – A. Jolly – 5/1
Into the race this Sunday off of two consecutive wins, the Japanese-bred gelding will be making his nineteenth career start. His most recent start came last month in The De Vichy (G3) at a mile and a quarter in France. This was his debut against group company. Well off the pace at the start in twelvth, the gelding started challenging other runners early and would go on to win the race by a quarter of a laength with a speed figure of one hundred seventeen. His prior start in a listed stakes over ten and a half furlongs in China would also end in a win, this time by six and a quarter lengths.
8. Pateador De Culo (IRE) – drazah – R. Hansen – 9/1
Coming into the race off of two consecutive wins, the four-year-old chestnut colt is lightly raced with fifteen lifetime starts. The scratch bred colt’s most recent start was in July over in the United States during The Chicago Handicap (G3) at a mile and one quarter. Breaking from the gate and settling into sixth, the colt wasn’t asked to advance until halfway through the race where they went would go on to win by half a length while recording a speed figure of one hundred sixtteen, which is a lifetime best speed figure. In his prior start the colt would also win, with this victory coming in the form of a listed stakes race over the same distance in Tasmania.
9. Letthedicestayhot (IRE) – asrstar – T. Small – 5/1
The five-year-old horse will be making his twentieth career start on Sunday and is a End Of Year award winner with career earnings approaching five million dollars. The most recent start for the horse came in late June during The Eclipsed Stakes (G1) in England along with many of our other contenders for this weekend’s race. Held well off the pace in fourteenth out of the gate, the horse wasn’t asked to challenge other contenders until the stretch. The horse would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. His most recent win was in October of last year during the Eclipse Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter in England. Well off the pace in this spot as well, settling into tenth out of the gate, the horse would close late to win by one and three-quater lengths.
10. Gritao De Rua (GER) – newastinnn – K. Ledwith – 5/1
Making his twenty-fifth career start this weekend, the five-year-old bay gelding is bred in Germany. The gelding most recently started in late June during The Eclipsed Stakes (G1) in England at a mile and a quarter. Held back off the pace in fourth early, the gelding fell back midway though the race and wound up finishing a well beaten eighth with a speed figure of one hundred nine. The most recent win for the geldng was this past April in South Africa during the Manha Manha Challenge (G1) over the same distance. The gelding was placed closer to the pace out of the gate, chasing the pace in second. Halfway through the race he took over the lead and went on to win by three and three-quarter lengths.
11. Landris (IRE) – eminc4 – R. Harzheim – 15/1
Returning to group company for this start, the Irish-bred four-year-old colt will be making his seventeenth lifetime start this Sunday. The most recent start for the bay son of Sea The Stars was in an allowance race in the United States over ten furlongs. Breaking alertly and going straight to the lead out of the gate, the colt would take the field from gate to wire to win by three lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. The colt last started in group company in February of this year during The Jai Alai Park Turf (G1) at a mile and three-eighths, also in the United States. Stalking the pace early in third, the colt would begin to fade midway through the race and would finish twelvth at the wire.
12. Cracking Quest (GB) – amir1680 – N/. Lawton – 9/1
This five-year-old bay is a Hall Of Fame winner, winning eight of twenty five starts to date and bringing home career earnings approaching three million dollars. The most recent start for the horse came last month in the Eddie O Cap (G1) in the United States over a mile and one-eighth. The horse came out of the gate and went straight to the lead and looked like he would wire the field but started fading in the stretch where he would be shuffled back to cross the wire in ninth while setting a speed figure of one hundred six. The most recent win for the horse came in October of 2023 during The Cracking Quest (G1) at a mile and a quarter; a race named after the Hall Of Fame winner. He wired the field in this start, winning by half a length.
13. Mountain Gin (GB) – francua – Bo Edwards – 8/1
Sired by Mountain High (GB), this four-year-old bay gelding with just thirteen career starts, has become an End Of Year award winner and earner of just over four and a half million dollars. The most recent start for the gelding came in late June during The Eclipsed Stakes (G1) at a mile in a quarter in England. In a stalking position out of the gate, the took over the lead early on but then started to fade at the midway point of the race before crossing the wire in third with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. His most recent win was in April in Australia during The Aussie Queen (G1) over the same distance. Running in a similar fasion, the gelding stalked the pace until he took command midway through the race, ultimately winning by half a length.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Mountain Gin (GB)
Place: Grito De Rua (GER)
Show: Pateador De Culo (IRE)