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Only six sign on to face Australia in Irish Champion
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| Australia feels "brilliant" at the moment to Joseph O'Brien
(Courtesy of Irish Champions Weekend via Twitter) |
Australia will face four Group 1 winners in Saturday's Group 1 Irish Champion
at Leopardstown, the showpiece feature of the inaugural Irish Champions weekend,
with connections in confident mood.
Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Teo Ah Khing's Epsom and
Irish Derby and Juddmonte International hero will be long odds-on despite the
presence of the Eclipse hero Mukhadram, Prix du Jockey Club winner The Grey
Gatsby and last year's Irish Derby scorer Trading Leather, as well as the triple
top-level winner Al Kazeem.
"You have to beat the best to be the best and the more of them turn up the
better," jockey Joseph O'Brien commented.
"It's a competitive race and very exciting -- I might never get to ride
another horse like him. He's done nothing wrong all season and seems to have
come on
from York.
"I've ridden him a couple of times at home since and he feels
brilliant. All being well, he should take the beating. This weekend is a great
initiative, so hopefully the crowds will give it the support it needs."
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Ballydoyle is also well represented in the Group 1 Matron on the undercard,
where Tapestry shortens up to a mile in the wake of her upset of Taghrooda in
the 1 1/2-mile Yorkshire Oaks.
Other top contenders include multiple Group 1 winner Rizeena, most recently
fourth to the all-conquering Kingman in the Prix Jacques le Marois, and such
veteran distaffers as Purr Along, Kenhope and Fiesolana.
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