⚠️ STRIKE HALTS ALL ENGLISH RACING ⚠️
STRANGER IN THE SADDLE -1: Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai, who rides last year’s third, Shin Emperor, in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, is at Cork today on Shangar (6.10) and Eichan San (6.40). See Cork tips below.
STRANGER IN THE SADDLE -2: French ace Christophe Soumillon is at Doncaster on the opening day but switches to the Irish Festival this weekend, with Mickael Barzalona, Tom Marquand and Sean Levey booked by Aidan O’Brien for the St Leger. Champion Stakes ratings below.
CHAMPION STAKES RATINGS
⭕ 5.30 Leopardstown, Saturday (Irish Champion Stakes) STATS Winner’s age 3 (8-11); none older than five since Swain (6 in 1998). Trainers: Aidan O’Brien 12, Team Gosden 4, John Oxx 3, Jim Bolger 2.
126 Delacroix (3, Aidan O’Brien): Favourite or second favourite in nine consecutive races since breaking his maiden, winning five, including the Eclipse, though the runner-up at Sandown that day, Ombudsman, turned the form around in the York International.
123 Anmaat (3, Owen Burrows): British Champion Stakes runner-up to Calandagan last October. Half-length second to Los Angeles in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May but that one was only fourth when Anmaat was two-lengths runner-up to Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
122 Whirl (3, Aidan O’Brien): Won the Musidora, Pretty Polly and Nassau Stakes at the 10f trip but beaten in the Epsom Oaks, neck second to Minnie Hauk, and last in the Vermeille on Sunday, both 1m 4f.
121 White Birch (5, J J Murphy): Curragh hat-trick last Spring, culminating in Group-1 defeat of Auguste Rodin in the Tattersalls Gold Cup but only fourth in that race this year nearly two lengths behind Los Angeles, who also beat him a neck in a Group 2 earlier.
120 Royal Champion (7, Karl Burke) Won this year’s Winter Derby and (Group 2) York Stakes but weakened behind Ombudsman and Anmaat at Royal Ascot.
119 Shin Emperor (4, Yoshito Yahagi): Japanese Derby third last Spring came over for this Champion Stakes and was 16-1 third (not clear run over a furlong out, beaten about a length) to Economics and Auguste Rodin, with Los Angeles fourth.
117 Hotazhell (3, Jessica Harrington) Won 4-5 as a juvenile, including the Beresford and the Doncaster Futurity by a nose from Delacroix but well behind that one in the Eclipse this year after third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
111 Zahrann (3, Johnny Murtagh): Won the King George V Cup here at Leopardstown over 1m 4f but, beaten favourite, held by Goodwood Listed winner threeparts of a length in the King Edward V11 Stakes (the ‘Ascot Derby’) later in June.
110 Purview (3, Dermot Weld) Ran up to Delacroix in the Leopardstown Derby Trial but beaten favourite twice since and may need further.
113 Expanded (3, Aidan O’Brien) Dewhurst runner-up on soft, well behind in both Guineas, at Newmarket and the Curragh. Rain might help.
109 Mount Kilimanjaro (Aidan O’Brien) Group-1 placed as a juvenile, won the Dee Stakes at Chester in May. Not clear run in the Voltigeur but showed awkward head carriage.
095 Serengeti (Aidan O’Brien) Pacemaker with only a maiden win to his name
KEANE’S DOUBLE STRIKE
⭕ 4.40 Cork Strike Zone, a promising third at Navan recently, has to be the topical tip.
Colin Keane is back home for six rides before flying back for the opening day of the Doncaster St Leger meeting where he has just one booked tomorrow, Enable’s half-sister, Zilfee.
⭕ 6.40 Cork Dermot Weld (Tina’s Charm) is 3-7 with his last seven starters ridden by stable jockey Chris Hayes. Tina’s Charm was runner-up the last day to Proxima Centauri (6.40 Leopardstown, Saturday), reckoned a good bet at the Irish Festival at the weekend.
⭕ 7.10 Cork Another who ran with promise recently was Robbie Burns’ Deuteronomy, slowly away in a big field, third, at Gowran Park after a break which followed a summer hat-trick steered by his teenage daughter, Nicola, who is in the saddle again today. BETDAQ 16.0 taken
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 4.40 Cork (nap to win 12)
BET 10pts win STRIKE ZONE
6.40 Cork (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win TINAS CHARM
7.10 Cork (win 30)
BET 2pts win DEUTERONOMY
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