Duke drift sparks Champion shutdown

DUKE Of Marmalade’s position at the head of the betting for Saturday’s Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes has been challenged by New Approach after a day of frenzied activity in the ante-post market.

Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old had been a clear short-priced favourite for the prestigious Group One since collecting his fifth consecutive win of the season in the rearranged Juddmonte International at Newmarket.

All those successes had been at the highest level but O’Brien did issue a warning earlier this week that the Leopardstown contest may come too soon for him.