Three To Follow Across Irish Champions Weekend

The Saturday at Leopardstown is set to be a cracker and the first Group One on the card is for the Fillies over a mile, with the Matron Stakes been won by some superstars in the past.

The three year old is set to take on Fancy Blue who has been a shining light for Donnacha O'Brien but we fancy his father to get the better of him in this race with the race being over a mile and that suiting Peaceful much better.

The daughter of Galileo was a smart juvenile winning at Thurles on her second start and then finishing a narrow second at Newmarket behind Born With Pride in a Listed event.

She has come on leaps and bounds now a year older and on her first start landed the Irish 1000 Guineas, seeing off Fancy Blue in the Process.

She was stepped up to 1 mile 2 furlongs for the French Oaks was outstayed by her nemesis but going back to a mile and having a short break should give her everything she needs to win the contest.

The Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs sees the best of the Irish Fillies go to post and there looks to be no better over this trip than Pretty Gorgeous.

The Joseph O'Brien trained juvenile has had three starts to date and has shown serious ability on all of them, getting off the mark at the first time of asking at Bellewstown.

She then went to Leopardstown and finished a close second behind Shale for Donnacha O'Brien in a Group Three contest.

However, she came on for that performance when pulling away from a decent field including Shale, to land a Group Two over course and distance at The Curragh and that is the best form heading into the event.

The feature race for the juveniles on the Sunday of Irish Champions Weekend is the Group One Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes over seven furlongs and superb field of Irish and English challengers are set to head to post.

Battleground for Aidan O'Brien has not really put a foot wrong during his career, finishing fifth on debut where he learnt a lot for the experience.

Since then he has gone unbeaten in two smart races, taking the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and then landing the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

The son of War Front is following the same path as superstar juvenile Pinatubo who similarly landed both those races on the way to taking this Group One and he looks to have a stand out chance.