Marquand and Haggas looking forward to Irish Champion Stakes Economics has stamped himself one of the most exciting horses in training this year with impressive victories at both York and Deauville and connections are eagerly looking forward to an acid Group 1 test in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday. The William Haggas-trained colt burst onto the scene with a six lengths win in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes and, following a mid-season break, again won admirers at Group 2 level in the Prix Guillame d’Ornano at Deauville last month. Tom Marquand has ridden the son of Night Of Thunder to all three career wins and is excited at the prospect of being reunited with the star colt saying, “He was exceptional in France and really stamped himself as a true contender for a Group 1. “You can’t help but get excited by him. Horses like him are so hard to come by and I’m really rubbing my hands and looking forward to it. “It’s obviously going to be a tough race as it is every year but it’s the sort of thing that gets your blood pumping. “He’s a winner over a mile in a novice (at Newbury) and in France he showed the speed he has in the locker as well. Deauville is a tight, turning track and Jayarebe set him a good target to go and run down but I never had a stride where I doubted that I was going to get there which is pretty remarkable watching it back. “That’s a testament to the feel he gave him, and I think going around Leopardstown will be an exciting day for us.” Haggas is happy with the colt’s progress saying, “We were thrilled with the way he ran in Deauville and thrilled with the way he’s come out of it. “There wasn’t much ease in the ground at Deauville. It might have said Good to Soft but it was nowhere near Good to Soft. “A little bit of ease and he’ll enjoy it more.”
