Softening ground can play to strengths of Anmaat in Champions Stakes
Chris Hayes is set to ride Anmaat in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. Pic: Nigel French/PA
A good start will be much of the battle on the marathon nine-race card at Leopardstown, which hosts the first day of Irish Champions’ Festival 2025, and Diamond Necklace can provide that for punters by taking the listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly made her debut just five weeks ago at the Curragh and was most impressive in seeing off stablemate Minerva and eight other fillies. The form doesn’t look especially strong at this point but there was an unmistakable quality to the performance of the winner.
An expensive yearling, who is related to numerous high-class sorts, including former Ribblesdale Stakes winner Magic Wand and Irish Oaks winner Chicquita, she has quality in abundance, and her class and stamina can ensure she follows up her debut success.
Jack Channon’s raider, Sukanya, has some promising former at a higher level and can chase her home, while once-raced maiden Killashee Warrior could sneak into the frame, even if this is probably too much too soon for the promising sort.
The weekend’s feature, the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, is a fascinating renewal and the recent softening of the ground can play to the strengths of Anmaat.
Owen Burrows’ seven-year-old had a superb 2024 and while he hasn’t hit the mark in two outings thus far this season, he finished a close second to Los Angeles in the Tattersalls Gold Cup on the first of them and filled the same spot behind Ombudsman on the other.
Today’s softer conditions will be much more in his favour and, with the evidence of those two runs suggesting he is at least as good as ever, he can take a classy renewal of the race.
White Birch will be at home in the conditions and doesn’t have much to find with the selection on Tattersalls Gold Cup form. He hasn’t run since that race, 111 days ago, but goes well fresh and must be given maximum respect.
Zahrann has something to find on form, but Johnny Murtagh’s three-year-old, who was unraced at two, is progressing nicely and promises to make his mark at this level. The softer ground shouldn’t be an issue, and a fast pace would be a help to the strong-staying sort.
Delacroix has obvious claims, though whether this race will bring out the best in him is hard to determine.
Japanese runner Shin Emperor finished third in this race in 2024 and has claims on that form. The ground is an unknown, though his full brother, Sottsass, won a heavy-ground Arc in 2020, having finished fourth in this race, on good ground, a month earlier. If he adapts to it, he will play a leading role.
