Marquand had earlier won the Group 1 Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes aboard Porta Fortuna for Donnacha O’Brien, but this time he teamed up with British-based trainer William Haggas to claim the €1.25 million race.

The son of Night of Thunder held off last winner’s Auguste Rodin and Ryan Moore as the Aidan O’Brien-trained runner failed by a neck at the line to win a seventh Group 1 race.

The Japanese runner, Shin Emperor, was third a further three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up.

Economics becomes the first British-trained winner of the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes since Oisín Murphy guided Roaring Lion to victory for John Gosden in 2018.

Interestingly, this afternoon was Economics’ Group 1 debut and he becomes the first horse since Pentire in 1995 to break their Group 1 maiden in the Irish Champion Stakes.

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The winner of the Epsom Derby and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh earlier this year, Auguste Rodin has disappointed hugely on two occasions, namely the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

This afternoon, however, the son of Deep Impact showed his battling qualities as he held off the challenge of his stable companion, and last year’s winner of the race, Luxembourg (Séamie Heffernan), by a half-length. Hollie Doyle aboard Nashwa was a short-head further back in third for John and Thady Gosden.

The three Ballydoyle runners, Luxembourg, Point Lonsdale (eventual 6th), and Auguste Rodin cut out the running in that order.

Ryan Moore and Auguste Rodin made their challenge on the outside of Luxembourg and Heffernan and fought off his stable companion’s challenge to claim a fourth career Group 1 success.

“It’s very satisfying to come back and prove how good he is.”

Ryan Moore hails Auguste Rodin and the training feats of Aidan O’Brien after a memorable Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes #IrishChampionsFestival | @BahrainTurfClub| @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/d41tUMiPhu

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 9, 2023

The winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien, for whom it was a 12th Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes win, said of the winner:

“A couple of times this year it all went totally wrong. All the ducks went against him. Usually you want them all to go with you but they all went against him. Ryan (Moore, the winning rider), before it went completely wrong in Ascot, he took him out of the race so he did no mental or physical damage to him. That’s why he came out of the race so well.”

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The Dermot Weld-trained filly claimed the first Group 1 of the Irish Champions Festival which takes places today at Leopardstown and on Sunday at The Curragh.

Ridden by Chris Hayes, the Aga Khan-bred and owned three-year-old was a length and a quarter winner over surprise England-trained runner-up Rogue Millennium, ridden by Danny Tudhope for trainer Tom Clover, as she notched up her fourth Group 1 victory.

The Paddy Twomey-handled, Billy Lee-ridden Just Beautiful came home in third place, a further half-length back.

Tahiyra was runner-up in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, before winning Group 1s at The Curragh (Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas) and Ascot (Coronation Stakes).

“I didn’t want to get caught down the fence,” winning rider Chris Hayes after the win. “I just angled out behind Colin (Keane on Zarinsk). We were only out and I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m gonna get here an hour too soon.’”

Dermot Weld can look forward to an exciting autumn campaign with Tahiyra, who has tasted defeat just once in her six-race career. #IrishChampionsFestival pic.twitter.com/UxQKm8MnSo

— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) September 9, 2023

Tahiyra is a half-sister to triple Group 1 winner and 2021 Champion European Older Mare Tarnawa from stakes-winner Cape Cross mare Tarana.

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Master McShee, Treacysenniscorthy and Great White Shark are among the handicap entries. The likes of Sir Gerhard, Kilcruit, Flame Bearer, Hollymount and Brandy Love feature in the early line up for the bumpers at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7.

Ladbrokes Hurdle

Master McShee heads the 51 entries for the Ladbrokes Hurdle on Saturday, February 6. He was an impressive winner on his handicap debut over this course and distance at Christmas. Next weekend, he could renew rivalry with Sea Ducor, the Arthur Moore-trained runner-up that afternoon.

The Eddie Cawley-trained Golden Jewel and Martin Brassil’s You Raised Me Up, second and third respectively in the Ladbrokes Hurdle last year, hold entries once again.

The Willie Mullins-trained Buildmeupbuttercup and Liz Doyle’s Cayd Boy head the weights. Other notable entries include Eclair De Beaufeu for Gordon Elliott, Noel Meade’s novice Cask Mate, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Gabynako and Wolf Prince, Paul O’Flynn’s West Cork Wildway and the Charles Byrnes-trained Advanced Virgo.

Matheson Handicap Chase

There are 28 horses entered for the Matheson Handicap Chase. The recent Naas winner, Epson Du Houx, Emmet Mullins’ The Shunter, Aramax, trained by Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins’ pair, Pont Aven and Andalusa look to be chief among them.

Goffs Future Stars INH Flat Race

Envoi Allen won this race in 2019, while Appreciate It won last year. It has an entry of 16 for 2021. Sir Gerhard, Chemical Energy and Hollow Games represent Gordon Elliott. Willie Mullins has three entries, Kilcruit, Whatdeawant and Ramillies. Pat Doyle’s Flame Bearer and Gavin Cromwell’s Letsbeclearaboutit are also included.

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle

Elliott entries dominate at the head of the weights for this contest. Last year’s heroine Black Tears tops the 36 horses in the opening contest on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival.

Terence O’Brien’s Our Roxanne is entered again. Both Spruced Up and Strange Notions, fourth and fifth a year ago for Eddie Harty and Charles O’Brien respectively are also nominated. Willie Mullins has entered seven horses, including the Leopardstown Christmas Festival winner Dysart Diamond. Declan Queally’s Naas winner Uisce Solas and Henry de Bromhead’s hat-trick seeker Telmesomethinggirl must also have their chance.

William Fry Handicap Hurdle

Willie Mullins is responsible for 10 of the 54 entries in the race. His team includes Great White Shark, a winner at the Galway Festival last July and successful in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket. Koshari, Low Sun and Dandy Mag are others that feature for the champion trainer.

Former Cheltenham Festival winner City Island is also entered. Paul Fahey’s Ballyshannon Rose, Gordon Elliott’s Dallas Des Pictons, Ronan McNally’s The Jam Man, the Fran Flood-trained Millen To One and Pure Genius, are also among the list of entries.

Gaelic Plant Hire Leopardstown Handicap Chase

Treacysenniscorthy is one of a number of significant entries for this race. Trainwreck, Any Second Now and Blazer have been entered again by Henry de Bromhead, Ted Walsh and Willie Mullins. Last year’s victorious trainer, Paul Gilligan, has Born By The Sea this time.

Stones And Roses and Cabaret Queen are others among Willie Mullins’ nine entries. Philip Dempsey’s The Long Mile, the Arthur Moore-trained Crossed My Mind, Henry de Bromhead’s Minella Times and the Tom Mullins-trained Scoir Mear will be of interest come the day.

Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race

There are 15 horses entered for this Grade 2. Gordon Elliott has only one entry, Party Central. Willie Mullins dominates with six previous winners engaged. His team includes  Brandy Love, Brooklynn Glory, Purple Mountain, Belle Metal and Take Tea. The Stuart Crawford-trained Hollymount was another up to winning on her first start.

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Last weekend’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Enable heads a strong representation of fillies in an entry of 61 horses for the Irish Champion Stakes. Last year’s heroine Magical, the first Irish-trained winner since 2011 and winner of the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh last Sunday, looks set to represent Aidan O’Brien in the Leopardstown showpiece.

The five-year-old mare could be joined by some of the younger Ballydoyle brigade, including the recent Newmarket and Irish 1,000 Guineas winners Love and Peaceful. Jessica Harrington’s Coronation Stakes winner, Alpine Star is there along with Deirdre, the first Japanese-trained runner in Ireland when taking fourth place in the race last year.

Andrew Balding’s Kameko and Siskin, trained by Ger Lyons, winners of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and The Curragh respectively are other early entries. Circus Maximus and Russian Emperor were among Aidan O’Brien’s Royal Ascot winners and they both hold entries as do the John Gosden-trained Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Lord North and Palace Pier, successful in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Newmarket’s Coronation Cup winner Ghaiyyath, trained by Charlie Appleby, and the globetrotters Benbatl, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, William Haggas’ Addeybb and Appleby’s Barney Roy, a winner in Munich on Sunday, also feature among the 20 British-trained entries.

The overseas contingent is completed by two entries from France: last year’s Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass, a winner again at Chantilly in the Group 1 Prix Ganay for Jean-Claude Rouget last month. Rouget will be bidding to win his second Irish Champion Stakes having trained Almanzor to win in 2016. Andre Fabre’s Persian King, last season’s French 2,000 Guineas winner, completes the list of overseas entries for the Group 1 contest.

New York Girl heads a quartet of entries for Joseph O’Brien, successful last year with subsequent Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Iridessa, for Leopardstown’s Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes. O’Brien’s younger brother Donnacha has entered his Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Fancy Blue, while their father’s Ballydoyle operation can count on the likes of this season’s English and Irish Guineas winners Love and Peaceful. Magical is included for O’Brien while Jessica Harrington’s Royal Ascot winner Alpine Star also features among a strong home team.

John Gosden’s Nazeef and the David O’Meara-trained Agincourt were first and second in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and along with Group 1 winners Billesdon Brook and Quadrilateral, head the cross-channel entry of 15 fillies and mares. Last season’s Moyglare Stud Stakes runner-up Daahyeh, trained by Roger Varian, Hugo Palmer’s Powerful Breeze, Mark Johnston’s Raffle Prize and the Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Terebellum, another trained by Gosden, would all be worthy contenders.

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said of the entries for both the Irish Champion Stakes and the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes:

“Once again, the quality of the entries for the Irish Champion Stakes and the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes are testament to the class of these races and Longines Irish Champions Weekend. We are delighted to welcome entries from Britain, France and Japan in addition to our own leading Irish contenders which highlights the importance of these races on the International calendar. We are looking forward to another excellent renewal of Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”

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