Economics successfully steps up to Group One company with thrilling Irish Champion Stakes defeat of Auguste RodinEconomics and jockey Tom Marquand the targets for Irish Champion Stakes opposition
Unlike a year previously when Luxembourg did the same thing, and gave his stable companion Auguste Rodin a perfect tow, the latter was taken back by Ryan Moore who wound up trailing Economics on the 9/4 second favourite. It was a first English success in the €1.25 million Champions Festival highlight since 2018 and an apt winner for Economics’ owner Shaikh Isa Al Khalifa, who sponsored the big race.
Just a second Japanese runner in the race, the brother to 2020 Arc hero Sottsass ran a fine third despite struggling for room in the straight. If it was a tough introduction to Leopardstown for jockey Ryusei Sakai, it was a promising Arc warm up for a colt that also filled third in May’s Japanese Derby.
Tom Marquand onboard Porta Fortuna winning the Coolmore Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “I got a nice sit off Soprano and Fallen Angel and Billy just launched a bit of a swing wide and he caught my eye and I tried to step her up into gear a touch just to cover that move. She was even quicker to it than I thought she would be.
Instead it was Ryan Moore, who’d enjoyed no luck in running himself on Bubbling in the opening Ingablle Stakes won by Chantez, that prevailed on the odds-on favourite Diego Velazquez.