Three exciting Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races will be featured at Leopardstown on Saturday, with the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) the standout event of an exceptional afternoon of racing.
His Highness Aga Khan's homebred Tarnawa (IRE), the defending Longines Breeders' Cup Turf champion, will go head-to-head with trainer Aidan O'Brien's star 3-year-old colt St Mark's Basilica (FR) in the 1 ¼-mile Irish Champion Stakes (G1). The winner will gain an automatic berth into the US$4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into corresponding races of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.
Two other “Win and You're In” berths also will be awarded at Leopardstown. The winner of the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes (G1) will earn an automatic position into the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and the winner of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes (G2) will earn a free spot into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).
Tarnawa (IRE), a 5-year-old daughter of Shamardal, enjoyed an unbeaten campaign in 2020 with back-to-back Group 1 victories in France, capturing the Qatar Prix Vermeille and Prix de l'Opera Longines, before providing her trainer, Dermot Weld, with his first Breeders' Cup success at Keeneland. Tarnawa stormed down the stretch to win the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf by 1 length over Magical (IRE).
The top-class mare was an easy winner of the Grant Thornton Ballyroan Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown on Aug. 5 in her sole start this season. Jockey Colin Keane is booked to ride once again.
Tarnawa will go head-to-head with four-time Group 1 winner St Mark's Basilica (FR). A son of Siyouni (FR) out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Cabaret (IRE), St Mark's Basilica is three for three this season, winning the French Guineas and French Derby, before striking in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at Sandown Park, under jockey Ryan Moore, last time out.
Connections of the 3-year-old colt will be hoping their stable star can continue his unbeaten record this season, with trainer Aidan O'Brien pleased the colt's preparations ahead of this Saturday. O'Brien said: “He's very offhanded and very straightforward. He has a great mind, he relaxes, he has a great stride and is very genuine – he has all the things that you would love in a horse.”
The duo are joined by dual Group 1 winner Poetic Flare (IRE). The Jim Bolger-trained 3-year-old colt will race over 10 furlongs for the first time, having won the QIPCO 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket and St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot.
Patrick Sarsfield (FR), trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by Declan McDonogh, completes the four-runner field.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of the Challenge Series winners to start at this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.
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