Ryan Moore's tips for Irish Champions Day at Leopardstown as he's forced to miss out

Ryan Moore has admitted he is going to find it difficult to watch the weekend racing while he is sidelined by injury.

Moore, the world’s number one jockey who is retained to ride for Aidan O’Brien’s powerful Ballydoyle stable, has been sidelined since the start of September after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the femur. O’Brien suggested the rider faced an indefinite period in recovery and as a result has been forced to miss one of the biggest two days of the season in Ireland, which stages Irish Champions Weekend, as well as the St Leger Festival at Doncaster.

With second choice rider Wayne Lordan also unavailable due to a ten day whip ban, Christophe Soumillon has been brought in as a top quality replacement. Soumillon partners Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes. Nevertheless Moore has provided his thoughts on the Ballydoyle runners and the rest of the Leopardstown card in his World Pool blog, admitting: “Irish Champions Weekend is a brilliant event, so it will be a hard one to watch it from the sidelines.”

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Leopardstown

2.15 Ingabelle Stakes
Diamond Necklace is a filly by St Mark’s Basilica, who was a good winner of a race at the Curragh last month which usually turns out to be pretty good. I think she’ll step forward and Leopardstown should suit her well. She could be hard to beat.

2.50 Sovereign Path Handicap
This looks a tricky handicap, and I wouldn’t have a strong view. Dance Night Andday won this last year by a neck from Gleneagle Bay, and they could well fight out the finish again.

3.20 Champions Juvenile Stakes
This race is usually a good indicator for horses going on to become Guineas and perhaps even Derby horses, and it’s got an illustrious record over the last few years. It’s only a small field and Aidan [O’Brien] runs two, Benvenuto Cellini, a Frankel colt who won a race at Killarney that is already working out well, and Montreal, a Sea The Stars colt who was a very impressive winner over this course and distance last time.

Montreal is a horse I like a lot, and while Benvenuto Cellini will be a nice horse going forward, Montreal may be the one on the day.

3.50 Kilternan Stakes
Al Aasy is a very good horse at this level. He’s an eight-year-old now but he’s very effective under these conditions and he tends to win these Group 3s. Convergent is a three-year-old who was second in the German Derby and might just set the standard on form. Sons And Lovers has been running well through the year and Trustyourinstinct is always competitive at this level. Al Aasy is probably the most talented horse though, and I think he is probably the right favourite.

4.25 Matron Stakes
This is one of those mile races around Leopardstown where getting the run of the race will be crucial. January hasn’t won this year, but she has been running well. She was a good second at Deauville and a good second at Newmarket before that. Fallen Angel beat her in France the last day and is well drawn here. She likes the rain and is a Group 1 winner at two, three and four years old, and could be a little bit overpriced.

Cercene won the Coronation at Royal Ascot and is a very consistent filly. Exactly is another very consistent filly and stepping back up to a mile will suit her. The slower ground will be in her favour as well. I think it’s a very competitive race and there’s plenty of pace in here with Vera’s Secret, Cathedral and Exactly. The key to it could be who gets the trip.

4.55 Solonaway Stakes
Skukuza is a horse that I’ve ridden on his last four starts, and he’s already won twice at the Curragh this year. He was a bit unfortunate over nine furlongs at York last time when he got checked in his run at a crucial stage. He’s dropping back down in trip here, which may not be ideal. Leopardstown will suit him but there would be a slight query if the ground got very soft, as he got stuck in the mud at Goodwood in August. That was very sticky ground though and if he gets fresh ground here, he’ll be okay. He’s a progressive horse who I hold in high regard.

We haven’t seen the best of Expanded yet. Any rain that falls will be in his favour. He had very good form as a two-year-old, but he hasn’t had a fair cut at it this year. He ran on quick ground at Newmarket, and he wasn’t quite right in the Irish Guineas. This is his first run since and I’m expecting a far better performance from him. It’s a tough race, but I think Expanded is overpriced and I’ll be interested to see how he gets on.

5.30 Irish Champion Stakes
Delacroix has had a good year bar his blip in the Derby. He’s won twice at Leopardstown this season so this course and distance holds no fears. He also won the Eclipse and was second in a messy running of the Juddmonte, where we allowed the pacemaker to go a long way ahead. In that race, he travelled well, but Ombudsman just quickened up better than him on the day. Returning to Leopardstown will really suit him and he’s the highest-rated horse in here by a few pounds, so he’s the right favourite.

Anmaat is an older horse, aged seven. He won the Champion Stakes at Ascot last year and he likes soft ground. After two good runs at Ascot and the Curragh this year, he looks set to run another good race here. I feel he could be very dangerous under these conditions.

Shin Emperor was third in this race last year, when not getting the best of runs round. He was a good winner in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the year but then disappointed in Dubai. A draw in one could be a little bit awkward and may mean he will have to go forward as it’s hard to get out when you’re on the fence at Leopardstown. Zahrann is an improving horse, and White Birch is interesting back on slower ground, but I think the top three in the betting are the most accomplished horses in the race.

6.05 Petingo Handicap
Light As Air did well to tough it out to win last time at the Curragh. This extra furlong should be within his compass and with blinkers going on there could be a bit more to come from him.

6.40 Autumn Fillies Handicap
Another tough handicap to close the card. Ger Lyons’ filly Luscious won a maiden comfortably at Naas last time and could go well. Noli Timere has impressed on her last two starts and looks the one to beat.