Vadeni victory on the cards at the Curragh

CHRISTOPHE Soumillon believes Vadeni will again show he is special when he tries to add this afternoon’s Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown to his win in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July. The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained French Derby winner faces John and Thady Gosden-trained Eclipse Stakes runner-up Mishriff, who Vadeni beat a head with a sharp burst of speed, plus Aidan O’Brien’s onetime Derby hope Luxembourg, the 2,000 Guineas runnerup who returned from a long break to win at the Curragh last month. Soumillon said: ‘It was a surprising win in the French Derby when Vadeni won amazingly well that day. Since that day we are dreaming high. ‘We went to Sandown hoping he was in the same good form and he produced exactly what we were hoping for. It was a very strong race — there were not a lot of runners, but the quality was high. I think it was the best Eclipse we have seen for a long time.

‘I think Mishriff will be the main danger for me again. He was a bit unlucky at Sandown.’

With James Doyle out injured, Ireland’s champion jockey Colin Keane has picked up the ride on Mishriff, who was brushed aside by the outstanding Baaeed in York’s International Stakes last month.