Amralah has Irish Champion Stakes option The Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown is among the options considered for Amralah following his impressive display at Haydock on Saturday. Mick Channon's four-year-old was a surprise winner of the Listed Doom Bar Stakes at Newbury on his penultimate start, but proved that effort was no fluke with a dominant front-running display in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes under Joe Fanning. Now he is a Group Three winner, connections are keen to test the water at a higher level before the season is out - but a sound surface is regarded as essential. Ted Voute, racing manager for Amralah's owner, Prince Faisal, said: "Unfortunately myself and Mick (Channon) were stuck 30 miles away after the M6 was closed, but we were delighted to see him win. "He was a big price (14-1) again and I was saying to Mick the press don't seem to like him and the majority of the betting public don't seem to like him, but the horse doesn't seem to mind. "Joe gave him a great ride and is the eighth different jockey to ride him in 11 races. I don't know if that's a good thing or not as they'll all be learning how to beat him! "The Prince is coming over to the UK on Thursday so we'll sit down with him and Mick and try and see and map out a route. "He's in the Irish Champion Stakes, but we're keen to avoid soft ground. "The Prince has mentioned the Canadian International as an option, which is a mile and a half, but every jockey that has ridden him has said he should stay. "That takes place during the last weekend in October, I believe, and he'd be more likely to get his ground there than he would over here at that time of the year. "The Prix Dollar at Longchamp is another obvious target, so we'll see where it all fits in and make a plan. "Mick has always raved about him and said he's the best horse in his yard, so hopefully he can continue to improve."
