Ten remain in Irish Champion Ten horses remain after yesterday’s forfeit stage for the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes. Aidan O’Brien has been successful in this prestigious Group One event on five occasions in the last decade and his Fame And Glory, Rip Van Winkle and Cape Blanco form part of a strong quintet of horses from Ballydoyle still engaged. Fame And Glory currently heads the betting market for the Prix de l’Arc at Longchamp in October while Rip Van Winkle recently landed the Juddmonte International at York and Cape Blanco won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby earlier this summer prior to chasing home Harbinger at Ascot last time. The home defence is backed up by the Dermot Weld trained Famous Name, a prolific winner at Group 3 and listed level during the last two seasons and already a three time winner at Leopardstown this year. There has been no English trained winner of this event since Grandera took the 2002 renewal but with Twice Over, Cavalryman, Poet and the supplemented Sea Lord entered for Saturday, a formidable English contingent should ensure a fascinating race. Twice Over won last year’s English Champion Stakes and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in 2010 before going down by just half a length to Rip Van Winkle in the recent Juddmonte International at York with Cavalryman back in fourth place on that occasion and Henry Cecil’s very talented performer is sure to go close. The Clive Cox trained Poet was a winner on this card twelve months ago for Aidan O’Brien and recently returned to winning ways in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock while Mark Johnston’s Sea Lord has progressed into a very smart individual winning six of his last seven starts including the recent Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury and connections have opted to try him at this level.
