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Breeders’ Cup Winner Tarnawa Goes Head-To-Head With St Mark’s Basilica, Poetic Flare In Irish Champion Stakes

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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St Mark’s Basilica, Tarnawa, Poetic Flare To Clash In Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes

Big guns St Mark's Basilica, Tarnawa and Poetic Flare remain on target to clash in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. The Irish Champion Stakes is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Turf to be held in early November at Del Mar.

The trio head the remaining 13 entries for the event, the highlight on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend which, for the first time, will be a World Pool event for all eight races.

Also standing their ground are a sextet from Ballydoyle, Armory, Bolshoi Ballet, Innisfree and the fillies Snowfall, Love and Joan Of Arc. Joseph O'Brien has left a trio in the race, Patrick Sarsfield, Baron Samedi and Thundering Nights while Jim Bolger's Mac Swiney also remains a possible contender.

The first of the weekend's Group 1 races is the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Johnny Murtagh has left in both last year's winner Champers Elysees and the ever-improving Create Belief, while Aidan O'Brien can choose from Mother Earth, Empress Josephine, Joan Of Arc and Friendly. Joseph O'Brien is also strongly represented with Thundering Nights, Pretty Gorgeous and Lovely Esteem while the Willie McCreery-trained Epona Plays would not be without her chance. The Pascal Bary-trained Thalie stays in as do the Ed Walker-trained Dreamloper and Richard Fahey's Fev Rover.

There are four Group 1 races at the Curragh on Sunday and the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend is highlighted by the Comer Group International Irish St Leger for which there are 22 horses remaining. Leading the way is Dermot Weld's Search For A Song, bidding for her third successive win in the race with opposition set to include Johnny Murtagh's Ebor winner Sonnyboyliston. A strong team from the Joseph O'Brien stable is comprised of Twilight Payment, Master Of Reality and Baron Samedi while Aidan O'Brien has five possibles, including 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago and Sir Lucan. Aircraft Carrier and Seattle Creek are set to represent the sponsor, Luke Comer.

From France and Germany, Yann Barberot's Brokeback Mountain and the Andreas Suborics-trained Rip Van Lips, winner of the Group 2 Comer Group International 50th Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten in May, could yet take their chance along with the remaining British challenger, David O'Meara's Eagles By Day.

Sixteen horses remain in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes, headed by last year's winner of the race, the Kevin Ryan-trained Glass Slippers and Tim Easterby's Winter Power, successful in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Archie Watson's Dragon Symbol is another leading contender standing his ground along with top home contenders Mooneista, Gustavus Weston and Measure Of Magic, trained by Jack Davison, Joe Murphy and Johnny Murtagh respectively.

The first of the weekend's Group 1 races for 2-year-olds is the Moyglare Stud Stakes and topping the 14 remaining entries are Ger Lyons's supplementary entry Cairde Go Deo and the Dermot Weld-trained Homeless Songs which is bidding to give the sponsors their first win in the race.

Unbeaten colts Point Lonsdale, trained by Aidan O'Brien, and the Charlie Appleby-trained Native Trail lead the way in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes for which ten horses stand their ground. Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes winner Ebro River is there for Hugo Palmer while Michael Bell's Great Max could be another raider from across the Irish Sea.

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to see such a top-class field at this stage announced for the Irish Champion Stakes. It will be a highly competitive race, truly reflective of the depth of quality of Irish racing currently. We are looking forward to a great day's racing and to have racegoers returning in greater numbers will make for an extra special occasion.”

Evan Arkwright, Chief Executive (interim) of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “The entries on Sunday certainly confirms the champion status of the day with high quality runners from start to finish on a superb programme which features four Group 1 races. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic support of owners, trainers and of course our very loyal sponsors. We are really looking forward to welcoming racegoers back to the Curragh for one of the major highlights in the international calendar.”

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Breeders’ Cup Champ Tarnawa Returns

The Aga Khan's G1 Prix Vermeille, G1 Prix de l'Opera and GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) takes the 2021 flat season up another level on Thursday as she sets foot on a racecourse for the first time since her brilliant success at Keeneland. Bidding to repeat last year's comeback win when handing Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 11 pounds weight-for-age in the G3 Give Thanks S. at Cork last August, the 5-year-old evades a penalty due to the conditions of the 12-furlong G3 Grant Thornton Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown. Trainer Dermot Weld said he believes the homebred may be more in need of her return than 12 months ago. “We're very, very happy with her. The only thing is she's done herself extremely well through the summer and she's just carrying a bit more than I'd like condition-wise for her first run,” he explained. “It worked really successfully for her last year and I thought we'd kind of follow a similar pattern, but possibly because we've had a very, very dry and warm summer in Ireland and the ground has been pretty firm I would have liked to have got a bit more work into her. I'm happy with the filly physically and mentally and I suppose she's bigger and stronger in many ways, but I just want to warn I would like to have her a shade fitter than she is going into the race. Last year I had her very forward and she put up an excellent performance at Cork and won her group race well. She's in great form again this year, but possibly not quite as advanced in her training. It's a long road all the way into November, so we're 'hasting slowly'.”

Tackling Tarnawa is J P McManus's 3-year-old colt Benaud (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who was fourth in the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot last time June 16, but to give a sense of context he is the next-best rated in the race and still 19 pounds off her level. The day's other significant black-type event comes at Deauville in the Listed Prix Arqana Prix de Tourgeville, where Godolphin's G3 Autumn S. winner and G1 Futurity Trophy runner-up One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks for a confidence boost having finished sixth in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and in the June 5 G1 Epsom Derby and run into Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) when third in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. on Newmarket's July course last time July 8.

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Keane To Ride For Weld

Jockey Colin Keane will ride for Dermot Weld this season when not required by Ger Lyons, the Irish Field reports. Keane and Weld teamed up in November to win the GI Breeders' Cup Turf with Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), with Keane picking up the mount the day before the race when Christophe Soumillon was ruled out by a positive COVID test.

Weld said that jockey Oisin Orr, who rode Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the trainer to win last year's G1 Irish St Leger, will remain part of the team.

“Oisin did very well to win his first Classic last season on Search For A Song and he will very much be involved,” Weld told the Irish Field. “When Christophe Soumillon tested positive for COVID-19 before the Breeders' Cup, I could have turned to one of the leading local jockeys. Johnny Velazquez was available, and Oisin Murphy's agent was also on the phone. But I just had a feeling that Colin would suit the mare. I had long admired Colin as a jockey, ever since he dethroned Pat Smullen as champion in 2017. I backed my judgement and the rest is history.”

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