Mishriff was confirmed as the scheduled runner in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday the week.
The five-year-old will face a rematch with his Eclipse winner Vadeni in the 10-stadium Group 1 contest, after looking unlucky at Sandown when he suffered a difficult spell being beaten just a neck in second.
The horse trained by John and Thady Gosden has since raced in the King George at Ascot, where he was third to Pyledriver, and more recently second to Baaeed in the Juddmonte International at York.
The son of Make Believe – who won the world’s most expensive race, the Saudi Arabian Cup, last year – is racing in the colors of Prince Faisal.
Regarding the Irish Champion option, the owner’s race director, Ted Voute, said on Thursday evening: “That’s the plan.”
As well as Mishriff and Vadeni, the Irish champion is also set to feature Luxembourg, former Derby favorite of Aidan O’Brien, Onesto, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris of Fabrice Chappet, and potentially the chic filly of Paddy Twomey, La Petite Coco (see below).
La Petite Coco could join the cast of Irish Champion
Paddy Twomey could also be tempted to let La Petite Coco try her luck in the title of champion of Ireland.
The filly provided Twomey with her first Group One success in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh earlier this season and had a respectable run at the Yorkshire Oaks when she was third to several top Alpinista scorers.
“She ran a great race, ideally I guess she would like to give a bit. Her focus is the fillies and mares race at Ascot on October 15, but the (Irish) Champion Stakes, if we have rain as expected next week would seem like a proper race to him in the meantime,” said Twomey.
“It’s a high class race, but if it adapts to its field conditions, I think we’ll line up and I think it would be competitive.
“In a field that was probably a bit fast for her (at York), she had a good race and did well. She is progressing all the time and she ran her highest number yet there.
“She will need rain to run, she wouldn’t be guaranteed to run unless it rains. This is something we will consider. His ultimate goal is Ascot this year. She doesn’t need to run ahead, but the Champion Stakes come at just the right time for her.
Twomey could be busy on the Irish Champions weekend with third Earl of Ebor Earl Of Tyrone likely to take part in the group three Paddy Power Stakes at Leopardstown, while he could be joined by the lightly run Beamish .
“He has his place in the Melbourne Cup and I would like to run him in that. I think (the Paddy Power) is the place for him. , Beamish could run too,” said Twomey.
“He came out of that race very well. Leopardstown on Saturday is the plan with him and then he has the options of Irishman Cesarewitch and he gets a place in the Melbourne Cup so I will decide all of that.
“The plan is to race at Leopardstown and I hope to race very well.
“At the moment I have Beamish for the Prix du Cadran, he would just appreciate a little softer ground.
“If it rained a lot, Beamish could run. He’s in good shape, I ran him on fairly fast ground on the last day (when he was third in the Ballyroan) and I think he’s better with some ease. Something like the Dial, that’s what I have in mind for him.
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Another success story for Twomey this year was Rosscarbery, who was only beaten by a neck in the Prix Jean Romanet last time out.
“Rosscarberry is in the Prix de l’Opera and the Prix de Royallieu, she will go for the Blandford (Sunday week at the Curragh) and I’m hoping for one of those races afterwards,” said Twomey.
“She’s tough – a mile to a mile and six in 90 days – she’s tough and tough. She came back from France on the last day in very good order, she had a career best.
“I think she’s been busy this year and has done very well, so I imagine there’s a chance she’ll retire at the end of this year.”
Just Beautiful, bought from Ivan Furtado’s yard after winning the Scepter Stakes at Doncaster last year for 625,000 guineas, is set to reappear at Leopardstown.
Twomey said, “I hope Just Beautiful makes its seasonal debut in the Boomerang Stakes. She’s a pretty filly and we gave her some time as she is out of Ivan Furtado.
“He got on really well with her and did a great job training her. We’ve been looking forward to her all year and she’s ready to race now. She’s likely to continue training as well. at the age of five.
“We were tempted to race her last week on the Fairy Bridge, but decided to wait another 10 days and go for the Boomerang instead.”
Others are set to join Twomey’s squad for the big weekend including Erosandpsyche in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh, while Shelton is set to try his luck in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Limiti Di Greccio, who hasn’t been seen since winning a Listed race last October, could try her luck in Coolmore America’s “Justify” Matron Stakes in which Rumbles Of Thunder is also set to take place. However the participation of Pearls Galore is not certain.
“We’re only going to run it a few more times and I think they (the owners) may want to go to the Forest, back to seven furlongs, and maybe a race in America in the fall. I think she’ll probably bypass the matron at this point, she’s five,” Twomey said.
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