Epsom hero and heroine battle for Champion tag

Epsom hero and heroine battle for Champion tag

DUBLIN - Harzand and Minding gave Ireland a classic double at Epsom in June and on Saturday at Leopardstown they will clash in the appropriately titled Irish Champion Stakes.

Harzand ridden by Pat Smullen (L) wins the Derby ahead of US Army Idaho on the second day of the Epsom Derby Festival

Veteran trainer Dermot Weld -- for whom globetrotting has become second nature saddling two Melbourne Cup winners and a Belmont Stakes victor -- runs Epsom Derby winner Harzand whilst record-breaking compatriot Aidan O'Brien pitches his Oaks champion Minding against the colts for the first time.

Aside from the these two stars of the turf there will be the French Derby victors Almanzor (2016) and New Bay (2015), O'Brien's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Highland Reel, and Godolphin's Eclipse Stakes winner Hawkbill.

Weld will be hoping Harzand can do what he did at Epsom -- giving him his first win in flat racing's blue-riband classic -- and deliver him his first ever Champion Stakes.

"Harzand is in great order," said Weld, who will also field a pacemaker for the Aga Khan-owned stable star in the shape of Ebediyin.

Harzand's jockey Pat Smullen, who like Weld has yet to win Ireland's premier all-aged middle distance race, is delighted at the rain that has poured down this week.

"The more rain that comes the better for Harzand," said Smullen.

"I was glad we got all the rain we got -- Leopardstown is a very good draining track so we need to keep getting those showers," added the prematurely grey 39-year-old.

O'Brien, who also has high hopes of landing the last English classic of the season the English St Leger at Doncaster with warm favourite Idaho, knows Minding faces a tough challenge.

However, having seen her sweep aside her fellow fillies in four of her five starts this term -- her one defeat, in the Irish 1000 Guineas, was put down to her banging her head on the stalls -- the time was right to take on the colts.

She also gets what could be a crucial fillies weight allowance.

"We’re very happy with her," O'Brien told At The Races.

"She’s had a nice bit of time since (her last run, victory at Goodwood on July 30).

"Her work is very good and physically she’s doing very well," added the 46-year-old, who also runs his star filly from last season, Breeder's Cup Turf winner Found.

Almanzor followed up his success in the French Derby for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget in a Group Two at Deauville last month but it is New Bay, trained by the French legend Andre Fabre, that will be viewed by many as the dark horse.

"I think it (Champion Stakes) is a nice race to try and win. The distance should suit him and we want to try and win another big race with him," said Fabre.

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