3 minute read

The Racing and Sports Pricing Model looks over the 2020 Irish Champion Stakes from Leopardstown.

Charlie Appleby's star of the season to date, Ghaiyyath, takes his chance in a typically strong edition of the Irish Champion Stakes which headlines an outstanding Leopardstown card on Saturday. 

Ghaiyyath brings star power to the race but he does put a dent in it as a betting propostion. The Racing and Sports Pricing Model can hardly know much about him that the market place doesn't already now and so doesn't have much to recommend us. 

If anything it makes the gap between he and Magical, he he handled with ease at York, a bit bigger than the early betting. There are perhaps more positives around Sottsass than the betting suggests but again, hardly enough there to start rattling off reasons to have a bet. 

The race is perhaps best watched (it looks sure to prove a top class spectacle) with a better betting scenario coming together in the other Group One on the card, the Matron Stakes for the fillies and mares.  

There the Model again thinks the gap between first and second favourite should be wider than it is in early markets. This time even more so and enough so that we can say that Fancy Blue is an appealing gamble at 2-1. 

She was beaten by second favourite Peaceful over the mile in the Irish 1000 Guineas but turned that around in a strong Prix Diane before confirming herself a really smart one in the Nassau. That bank of good ratings is backed up by powerful connections and a profile that says she can be better yet.

All in all, The Racing and Sports Pricing Model makes this a very pointy market and Fancy Blue sits right at the tip of that point with a big label on slapped between her blue-blooded eyes - bet.