Empire Of The Sun

The sun may have set on Empire but judged by some of the more bellicose cross-channel reactions to the Irish Champion Stakes' timing move, and the consequent impact on arrangements for Doncaster's St Leger, some appear to be grimly hanging on to the delusion that the industry sun still revolves rigidly around racing on the "Mainland."

Some notably martial language was employed to describe the Champion Stakes being rearranged on the not unreasonable basis that the best horses should get the best of Leopardstown's rain-soaked ground on Day One of 'Champions Weekend.'

The Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan was even called on to "defend" the move which prevented Frankie Dettori from taking in both the Leger and the Champion Stakes because there wasn't enough time to be sure of a helicopter making Leopardstown from Doncaster in time.

Now some will conspiratorially whisper the move was made with a single horse in particular in mind and plenty others no doubt won't dismiss them as crackpots either for doing so.

However a rather excitable picture of an English classic under attack from Irish racing has been painted, with the 'Champions Weekend' concept as a whole portrayed as a deliberate assault on the venerable and vulnerable old Leger.

And that, chaps, is a pukka pile of steaming poop: on an international weekend crammed with genuine Group 1 action, the Leger was a comparative sideshow, a Group 1 in name only, with a reputation increasingly reliant on the past.

The contrast with what was on offer at Leopardstown was marked, both in terms of quality, depth, prizemoney and most anything else you care to mention. In comparison, the Leger, sadly, continues to totter towards irrelevance in elite terms.

Coolmore got flak for removing Order Of St George from the race - and then for getting it in the stewards room with Bondi Beach - but without them, the Leger would have been a shell of a race.

That authorities here had something vastly superior to offer, and the audacity to maybe try and make the most of it in making every effort to get every star name into its signature race, may have discomforted many in Blighty but old colonials do have an unfortunate habit of deciding things for themselves on their own patch.

However if it is the case that no one told Qatar Racing and Sheikh Fahad of the decision beforehand then it's a spectacular own-goal, although HRI's Brian Kavanagh insists the QIPCO team were informed on Thursday along with everyone else.

Since keeping the Qatar money-hose wide-open is a priority for many within the Irish horse game it's important the optics are maintained, especially when the Sheikh is actually sponsoring the thing. But the idea the Leopardstown team shouldn't have paddled their own canoe in order to facilitate what is essentially a counter attraction doesn't stack up at all.

What the whole matter really illustrates is the hollow core at the centre of much of the international cooperation 'hands across the sea' spiel being officially pedalled. We might all be European under the sun, and the pattern, but there still remains no interest like narrow self-interest.

For instance the concept of the Leger and Longchamp's Arc Trials weekend being crammed into the same two days as 'Champions Weekend' must be questionable yet there appears to be no will to ask that question. And that's hardly surprising when you consider the perennial farcical reality of the interference rules in both Britain and Ireland is allowed continue.

The Doncaster stewards were correct to promote Bondi Beach both in terms of rule and spirit. The Leopardstown stewards were correct to allow Golden Horn keep the Champion in terms of the rules. But once again the spiritual vacuum at the heart of those rules was exposed.

It shouldn't matter that the Golden Horn interference was accidental. It shouldn't matter he was the best horse in the race. It shouldn't matter that Free Eagle probably wouldn't have won anyway: probably isn't synonymous with definitely. Whatever chance he had was removed when he was taken out of it. Messi is better than any other player on earth but he doesn't get forgiven for taking someone out at the knees just because he's the best.

The rules are a farce but since this space has hardly been alone in pointing this out, and no one's taken a blind bit of notice, pointing it out again and again is probably as pointless as arguing for global harmonisation of the rules. That would require some to concede that others might have a point, and that can hardly be seen to happen.

However, surely those in charge should sit up and take notice when a globally recognised figure like Mick Kinane points out he believes the French interference rules are on balance the way to go since they have the priceless quality of clarity. If you interfere with another horse's chance and affect their placing, you get put behind it.

Is it just me but you rarely seem to have headlines dominated in France by controversial disqualifications and jockey suspensions. There certainly appears to be no requirement there for riders to develop skills as advocates in order to try and sway enquires. Speaking of which Colm O'Donoghue could teach a course judged by his performance at Doncaster and fair play to him.

But the question has to be asked as to why were he and Andrea Atzeni there in the first place. Yet again, and shockingly, neither rider turned around and said they'd been convinced by the other's argument, both of which were entirely predictable.

O'Donoghue was impressive in bullet-pointing the facts, just in case the stewards failed to spot them, but if they had failed, they themselves should have been bulleted for incompetence. The pictures spoke for themselves. The presence of the two riders added nothing.

And finally, with a slight and less than expected attendance increase at Leopardstown, and a slight decrease at the Curragh, the influence of the Irish weather on 'Champions Weekend' extended beyond ground considerations. That's one thing nothing can be done about.