Friday saw my pick Abbey Magic finish 2nd. The 11/4 favourite tracked the leaders and was on terms before the 3rd,she disputed the lead again 2 out but a mistake at the last left her 2nd. She had no extra in the final furlong keeping on at one pace allowing the 7/1 chance Whatucallher to win by 8 lengths.
After a relatively quiet week what a couple of days we have ahead as Irish Champions Weekend takes place with a total of six Group One’s. The first two are part of an 8 race card at Leopardstown on Saturday,1.40 sees 13 begin the Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes. There are five Group one winners in the field including last year’s victor Champers Elysees but she will have to up her game to be the first two-time winner. This race should go to trainer Aiden O’Brien he runs Empress Josephine, Shale and Pretty Gorgeous but the pick of his is Mother Earth. She won the English 1000 Guineas and then ran well to be placed in the French 1000 and the Coronation Stakes before getting back to winning ways in the Prix Rothschild last time. She should be the 7th successive three-year-old to land this race. The best race of the weekend is the 2.45 when 4 start the Irish Champion Stakes. This is a battle between three brilliant horses. St Mark's Basilica has run well in France this year pulling off the 2000 Guineas/Derby double and emphatically beating both Addeybb and Mishriff in the Coral Eclipse last time out,he was the Champion two-year-old last year so can definitely win this. Poetic Flare arrives here after winning the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes this season and being placed in three other Group one’s. He is 2 from 2 on this course but will need to settle early if he is going to win. The pick here is Tarnawa who last season beat Magical in the Breeders Cup and had 2 wins at Longchamp and a win at Cork on her record. She looked in excellent form when winning by 6 1/2 lengths on her return here in August and in five starts over this race distance she has only lost once so gets the nod.
Big race predictions: 1.40: 10: Mother Earth 2.45: 2: Tarnawa.
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