Oxx happy with Azamour ahead of Champion

Azamour will complete his preparations for one of the most hotly-contested Group One races of the season, the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes, with a workout on Thursday morning.

John Oxx’s charge will be one of the strongest representatives of the Classic generation in Saturday's Leopardstown contest, where he is set to clash with older stars such as Doyen and Rakti.

“He’ll have a little run-up on Thursday and that will be the end of it,” Oxx said today. “So far, so good – he is on course and we are happy with him.”

The Aga Khan-owned son of Night Shift finished third and second respectively in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas, but reversed form with the winners of those races at Royal Ascot.

Azamour has not raced since landing the St James’s Palace Stakes at the Berkshire course and will be tackling 10 furlongs for the first time this weekend.

“It has been three months since he won at Ascot but he has progressed physically since then and we are hoping he will handle the extra distance quite well,” added Oxx.

“Good three-year-olds should progress through the season, like he has, and we are hopeful of a good run.”

The Currabeg handler withdrew Azamour from the Juddmonte International at York last month on the afternoon of the race owing to soft ground, and is hoping the current warm spell continues ahead of the Champion Stakes.

“I hope they don’t get too many showers,” Oxx went on. “There is talk of a break in the weather on Friday and Saturday and they are watering at the moment, so I hope conditions don’t change.

“The chances are that it will be good fast ground, though, which should suit everything in the race.”

Baileys Irish Champion Stakes, Ladbrokes bet: 5-4 Doyen, 4-1 Grey Swallow, 5-1 Azamour, Rakti, 10-1 Bago, 14-1 Warrsan, 16-1 Powerscourt, 20-1 Norse Dancer, 33-1 Yesterday, 50-1 Imperial Dancer, Troubadour, 150-1 Millstreet.