Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will spearhead Aidan O'Brien's latest assault on the G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Saturday, with stablemate Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) going to the same card's G1 Matron S.
This year's G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas hero beat all bar Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Juddmonte International over this 10-furlong trip at York last time on Aug. 23, and will be a warm order to give the current Ballydoyle maestro an eighth edition. Joining him is the G1 Epsom Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was fourth in the Juddmonte, and the GI Secretariat S. second Taj Mahal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
There is a strong British challenge headed by Sir Peter Vela's Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was sixth behind Churchill in the 2000 Guineas but who looked a different proposition last time when allowed to bowl along by Ryan Moore in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville on Aug. 15. Drawn in one, he will have Churchill alongside in two while the other high-profile visitors Poet's Word (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) have fared less well with post positions nine and 10, respectively.
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