Economics bids to cement his status as the best 3-year-old in Britain on just his sixth career start in the Oct. 19 Champions Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse.
William Haggas has shown a sure touch with the campaigning of the giant Night of Thunder colt, first pressing on when stepping him up from a Newbury maiden win to dominate the Dante Stakes (G2) field less than a month later, before dabbing on the brakes.
Haggas and owner Sheikh Isa passed on the temptation of supplementing Economics for the Epsom Derby (G1), giving their burgeoning star time to develop before embarking on an autumn campaign that has featured wins in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (G2) and the Irish Champion Stakes (G1).
Now Economics bids to complete the same hat trick as Almanzor in 2016, going from Deauville to Leopardstown to Ascot.
While some might have hoped for a more dominant performance against Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion, Economics showed he could get down and fight, much to his trainer’s pleasure.
“Economics is a good horse and I wouldn’t worry about the form in Ireland,” said Haggas. “It was a very tough race and he’s needed every week to come to his best for Saturday.
“Ricky Hall rides him every day and is very happy with him. His work last week was very nice but nothing strenuous, just enough to keep on top of him. He’s ready to go.”
Haggas has long been convinced that ease in the ground would bring further improvement from Economics, although he acknowledges that mid-October Ascot going will be a significant departure from what he has been racing on all season.
“He’s won on fast ground this year and we’ll see whether he copes with this easier surface,” said Haggas. “I think he’ll be okay because I think he’s very versatile. It’ll be top of the list of excuses if it all goes wrong, I suppose.”
Pasquier Aiming to Swoop Late on Calandagan
Having started the week second favorite for the Champion Stakes, Calandagan has now swapped places with long-time ante-post favorite Economics, with the market becoming ever more convinced that the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) runner-up behind City of Troy is ready to make his group 1 breakthrough for the Aga Khan and Francis Graffard.
While Mickael Barzalona will take over as No. 1 jockey to the Aga Khan from the beginning of next year, Stephane Pasquier retains the ride at Ascot, having been an integral part of the development of a horse who could be a bit free earlier in his career.
“Calandagan produced a fantastic finishing effort at York,” said Pasquier. “I had to chase him along early on to get a position and that may have burned a little of his finishing kick, but we were beaten by the best horse in the world and there’s no shame in that.
“He’s capable of producing a real turn of foot, his work has been very good and he’s in great form. In an ideal world I’d be able to switch him off and let him use that acceleration late.”
Being drawn in stall 1 is probably not ideal for Calandagan, who has shown a marked preference for being held up, but Graffard and the Aga Khan team are hopeful that his talent will overcome any tactical issues.
“He’s a long-striding horse and that type being in too much traffic is never ideal, although he was in and among horses a bit at York,” said racing manager Nemone Routh. “We’re very happy with his preparation, we think he’ll get through the ground and he’s clearly in good form, so now it’ll just be a case of luck in running.”
Arc Duo Los Angeles and Continuous Try Again for O’Brien
Aidan O’Brien has a solitary success to his name in the Champion Stakes courtesy of 2019 heroine Magical , who was beaten 10 lengths by Waldgeist in the 2019 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) but bounced back to score at Ascot 13 days later.
On the form of his third to Bluestocking at Longchamp, Irish Derby (G1) winner Los Angeles comes here off arguably a better run than Magical, and he has seemed to take his racing well as the season has progressed.
“Los Angeles ran a fantastic race in the Arc,” said O’Brien. “Ideally, we’d have preferred a lead, but nobody else was going to go on. He was just a little bit of a baby out in front, waiting for company the whole time, but he still ran a great race.”
O’Brien added: “He’s had a busy season but he’s a big, strong colt who has been coming out of his races well all year. Hopefully we’ll have him back next year, but that’s something for the lads to decide.”
Christophe Soumillon—who rode Los Angeles when he won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) last October—has been on Continuous , O’Brien’s other challenger, for his last two starts.
O’Brien said: “The Arc was a bit of a non-event for him as he ran into the horse that was injured coming down the hill. Christophe said we could put a line through it. He’s had an easy season and his action suggests he’ll handle the ground, even though he handles fast ground as well.”
The Champions Stakes is the final race in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, and offers the winner a guaranteed, fees-paid berth to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
