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| Staff Writer |
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Los Angeles is poised to join his illustrious stablemates Auguste Rodin and Luxembourg in a mouthwatering clash for the Gr.1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, the feature race on day one of Irish Champions Festival weekend at Leopardstown.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt has been in scintillating form this season, notching up victories in the Irish Derby and the Great Voltigeur Stakes since finishing third behind stable superstar City Of Troy in the Derby at Epsom. While the York contest is traditionally viewed as a St Leger trial, O'Brien is favouring a step back in trip for the son of Camelot, with one eye on a potential tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
"It looks like at the moment Los Angeles is going to run. We had it in our head going to York that we might go that way and that was the reason for doing it," O'Brien revealed on Monday.
"We thought he's the kind of horse that could finish in the first three, four or five in a (Irish) Champion Stakes and could go onto an Arc. That's what we still think and if the ground got soft in France he'd have no problem with that."
Last year's winner Auguste Rodin will be on a recovery mission after a disappointing display in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. O'Brien blamed underfoot conditions for the below-par effort and is confident the son of Deep Impact is back to his best.
"He loves fast ground and his last bit of work was excellent, he showed a lot of zest in it. He went by his lead horse very easy, whereas usually he wouldn't at that stage of the work. He was very confident and it was a bit different," the trainer reported.
Completing the formidable Ballydoyle trio is Luxembourg, who was denied back-to-back wins in the Leopardstown showpiece 12 months ago by Auguste Rodin. O'Brien described the consistent performer as "a very consistent, strong horse" who "doesn't mind making the running" over the mile and a quarter trip.
The Irish Champion Stakes boasts an illustrious roll of honour, with previous winners including the likes of Giant's Causeway, High Chaparral, and Sea The Stars. More recently, Magical scored back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2020 for the O'Brien yard.
Looking ahead to the two-day festival, O'Brien also outlined plans for some of his other stable stars. Ylang Ylang is likely to contest the Gr.1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, while star stayer Kyprios will bid for a second Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
In the juvenile ranks, unbeaten Henri Matisse is set to carry the stable's hopes in the Gr.1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes. Meanwhile, Acomb Stakes winner The Lion In Winter – ante-post favourite for next year's 2000 Guineas and Derby – is more likely to wait for the Goffs Million on September 28.
"That (National Stakes) was always the plan for Henri Matisse and the lads will decide whether the horse that won in York will run or not, but he's still there," said O'Brien.
"If he doesn't go there he'll go to the Goffs. He's being kept on the boil for the National Stakes, but the plan is that he'll go to the Million."
The Ballydoyle maestro will also have one eye on events in France, with Opera Singer set to test her Arc credentials in the Prix Vermeille.
As the Irish flat season reaches its crescendo, all eyes will be on Leopardstown for what promises to be a clash of titans in the Irish Champion Stakes. With Los Angeles joining the fray alongside his accomplished stablemates, racing fans are in for a treat as O'Brien's charges vie for Group One glory and potential Arc aspirations.