Irish Champions Stakes: ‘Proper warrior’ Economics passes test at Leopardstown

Economics cashed in at Leopardstown to claim the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes after a titanic tussle with Auguste Rodin.

The William Haggas-trained colt had impressed when romping away with the Dante at York in May, before following up in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.

Sent off the 7-4 favourite for his first taste of Group One action, Tom Marquand was content to bide his time from his position drawn widest of all.

He was always travelling powerfully and improving his position with every stride, with Marquand waiting to push the button aboard the strapping chestnut straightening for home.

Long-time front-runner Luxembourg initially proved a tough nut to crack, but the closer the winning post came his Aidan O’Brien-trained stablemate Auguste Rodin proved the main threat to Ecomomics.

Having battled it out with the defending champion in the closing stages, Economics stuck his big white nose out best to claim a thrilling neck victory.

He was made the 6-4 favourite from 3-1 with both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot next month, where he could bid to become just the seventh horse to follow up Irish Champion Stakes victory in the British equivalent.

“It didn’t look very nice, but he got the job done. I loved his head carriage in the last furlong, he really put his head down,” said Haggas.

“I thought the other horse was going to come and beat him, but he beat him.

“I’m really pleased with him and he’s coming along nicely. As long as we don’t overdo him this year, he’s got a big future.

“Hopefully we will see him again and we’ve always planned to go for the Champion Stakes at Ascot so we will see. Sheikh Isa [owner] puts a lot into it and I’m thrilled more for him than me.”

It was the second Group One victory of the afternoon for Economics’ big-race pilot, with Marquand supplementing his Matron Stakes success aboard Porta Fortuna.

The jockey was thrilled with his mount and said: “He was everything I was dreaming of and more. He’s not only a very good racehorse, but he’s a proper warrior. He’s very, very talented.

“I had moments when I was worried, but he was always felt like he was there for it and Auguste Rodin obviously showed up every bit as good as we were expecting.

“I am just thrilled and for Sheikh Isa and William it is just huge. I think it is one we can all walk away from pretty satisfied. The big calls that were made earlier in the season that were probably so tough to do, they have been justified now. He’s not only a good horse, but a warrior as well and not many horses do both.”

He went on: “I changed my plan a few times to be honest. There were a couple of times I felt like I had picked up into a nice position and for whatever reason I wasn’t quite happy there, so I just moved on a little bit further and he possesses that really nice trait of being able to light up and shut back down 10 strides later.

“I just fiddled around a bit and he had to battle as Auguste Rodin turned up every bit as good as he is – he had to be very good.

“He remains so, so exciting and I think next year will really be his year. I’m just thrilled to be a part of him so far and hopefully for what is to come.”

It was just Sheikh Isa’s second win at the highest level following Commissioning’s Fillies’ Mile triumph in 2022 and to make matters better, he was watching Economics win a race he sponsors.

He said: “You had to be excited coming in with a favourite’s chance. The exciting thing is that he did it and he’s proven to everyone now that he’s a proper horse. He’s beaten some of the best horses in the world.

“It’s wonderful for the Kingdom of Bahrain to be sponsoring one of the best races seen so far over furlongs.

“From my standpoint as an owner and also from our standpoint as a racing jurisdiction it’s a win-win all around.

“I’ve been waiting a while for a horse like him and as William said, ‘we have one’. I’m just very proud and very thankful.”

The decision to skip a run at Epsom in the Derby after impressing in the Dante Stakes is now proving justified, with Sheikh Isa continuing: “There were discussions, but at the end of the day he [Haggas] sees the horse more than I do and there is trust.

“Between a racehorse trainer and any owner you must have trust.”

On the future, he added: “I’m dreaming of enjoying today and we’ll pick up the pieces tomorrow and make a call as a team.”

O’Brien’s disappointment of seeing Auguste Rodin vanquished was slightly tempered by St Leger victory for Jan Brueghel only 15 minutes later and he confirmed the runner-up will now head to the Japan Cup after narrowly failing to defend his crown.

He said: “I’m delighted and he ran a great race. The plan was to come here and then go to Japan and I would say it was a great prep for that.

“The winner is a good horse, but we were delighted really. He’s a good three-year-old and a horse that won the Dante and had a lovely prep in Deauville. I’m delighted for all connections and Tom gave him a great ride.

“The plan is to go straight to Japan and have him fresh and obviously we felt we could go to the Breeders’ Cup, but that might be too close. The plan was always to come here, freshen up and then go to Japan. Everything worked perfect today other than he didn’t win.”

Porta Fortuna shows her class again

Porta Fortuna cemented her position as this season’s leading filly at a mile in claiming the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes, bringing to an end Fallen Angel’s love affair with Ireland.

Runner-up in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Donnacha O’Brien’s charge skipped the Irish 1,000 Guineas won by Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel to head straight to Royal Ascot, where she got the better of Opera Singer in the Coronation Stakes.

Tom Marquand, who was in the saddle at the Royal meeting, had to watch from the sidelines when Porta Fortuna added to her Group One haul in the Falmouth Stakes but was back in the saddle at Leopardstown as the brilliant filly secured a big-race hat-trick.

Sent off the 5-4 favourite, Marquand was never far away from George Boughey’s Soprano and Fallen Angel who dictated the pace, the latter making her return to action after that Classic triumph in May.

The field was packed closely rounding the turn for home where James Doyle asked Fallen Angel to go on and add to her Classic victory on Irish soil, having won on this weekend 12 months ago.

However, Marquand soon unleashed Porta Fortuna’s trademark turn of foot as she surged to an impressive length success, with Fallen Angel and Soprano filling second and third spots respectively.

Porta Fortuna was immediately made the even-money favourite from 7-4 for the Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket by Paddy Power and Betfair, but O’Brien hinted she may skip that assignment in favour of heading straight to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup, where she is a 4-1 chance with Coral for the Mile.

“She’s an incredible filly, she shows up every day. It’s a huge honour and pleasure to train her and I’m lucky to have her,” said O’Brien.

“You can never be confident going into a Group One, they are always hard to win. No matter what the bookies are saying they are always very tough to win, but she makes it look easy.

“She’s always been good, but you can never be sure they are going to develop into something like that, you can never dream of that.

“She won very well at the Curragh and then she was bought by Mark McStay for Steve Weston, Philip Shelton, who represents Medallion Racing, Dean Reeves and Barry Fowler, who is not here today.

“It’s just a huge honour to have the filly, she’s very special. We’ll take her home and see how she is, but all being well we’ll be going to Del Mar.

“She’ll get an easy week or two. I’ll have to confirm with the owners, but we had it in our heads that if she won here she’d skip Newmarket and we’d prep her for America.”

Meanwhile, Fallen Angel is poised to step up in trip at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend having delighted her Spigot Lodge handler in what was also her first start for new owners Wathnan Racing.

Burke said: “”We’re delighted and she had a bit of time off after the Irish Guineas and didn’t have a saddle on her for four or six weeks, so to come and put up a performance like that against a very good filly, we’re very happy.

“I think she will step up in trip and the Prix de l’Opera in three or four weeks’ time will be the next step and that will tell us then for next year. I’m convinced and Danny Tudhope always thought she would get 10 furlongs. James Doyle has ridden her for the first time and thought the same, so I think that will be the next race.

“She wasn’t having much of a blow, but she will definitely sharpen and a little bit of juice in the ground, which hopefully we will get in France, will suit her well.”