The Grey Gatsby tears up the script on Australia’s day

With the sun shining on Leopardstown, and the crowds having poured in to tee up a perfect ‘Champions Weekend’ inauguration, it seemed a perfect outcome to Irish racing’s big new initiative this evening required Australia to win the €1 million Qipco Irish Champion Stakes for a perfect finale. But Aidan O’Brien’s superstar blew his cue as The Grey Gatsby reversed York form with a stunning success.

If the crowds originally came to acclaim a potential great in Australia, they stayed to marvel at Ryan Moore’s ever-inflating reputation as perhaps the world’s top big-race jockey right now.

Britain’s leading rider this season was outstanding on The Grey Gatsby who he’d previously ridden to French Derby success in June. With Mukhadram’s and Australia’s pacemakers seemingly competing to see who could go quickest, Moore dropped the Kevin Ryan-trained grey right out the back and looked to face a mammoth task on the turn-in as Joseph O’Brien set sail for home on Australia.

Irish racing’s new showpiece event looked all set to get its headline-act but the 30-100 favourite suddenly found himself with a real battle on his hands as The Grey Gatsby fought grimly under a ferocious Moore drive and in the shadow of the post, the English based raider got his neck in front.

In terms of power, timing and and subtlety it looked a masterclass from the Englishman who had dashed from Doncaster’s St Leger meeting it the afternoon.

After his first top-flight success in Ireland, Tipperary born Ryan admitted his jockey had carte blanche when it came to his approach to the race.

“Ryan went out with a plan. He thought they would go very hard, so he was going to hang on to him.

“I said to him that was Plan A, but if he had to revert to Plan B or C, so be it. You don’t tell Ryan Moore how to ride.

“He’s a great racehorse and I’m very proud of him. I’ve felt all along that he’s never had the credit he deserves and if he doesn’t now it will be unbelievable. The horse has done his own talking

“He’ll stay in training next year and will get stronger and better. We’ll hopefully have another great year.

“He won’t go to the Arc. He could go to Ascot on Qipco day (Champion Stakes) and if he did that would be his last run.

“We’ll start off next year in the Dubai Duty Free.”

Moore said: “He ran a very good race in the Juddmonte, we knew Australia would be hard to beat but he had come on a little bit from York.

“The race set up nice for him and he really tries hard. He puts his head down and I think they pulled nine lengths clear, I’d say both horses have run very good races to pull that far clear.

“Every race you just have to see how it unfolds and it looked like they’d go fast.

“We planned to be patient and to have him where he’s comfortable. The horse travels well, you give him a target and he’ll chase it.”

Moore had made it to Leopardstown in time to take the ride on Rizeena in the Matron Stakes but found Fiesolana too good on the day.

Willie McCreery just missed out on winning an All-Ireland with Kildare in 1998 but the Curragh based trainer nailed a first Group One success of his career anywhere when Fiesolana pounced late under an inspired Billy Lee to win.

Purchased by the Niarchos family after a prolific 2013, the five-year-old mare was scoring for the first time this season and did so in style, bursting through to lead close home.

Victory stamped McCreery’s status as one of the emerging trainers in Ireland and a maiden top-flight success for Lee only added to the fairytale element. The Niarchos silks were famously first past the post in the 2012 Matron but Duntle got thrown out by the stewards.

“I’m overcome. What a horse and Billy was as cool as a cucumber. I said to him miss the break today and he missed it lovely. I told him I’d rather he was beat than come too early. You dream of this, but realistically it’s a Group One,” McCreery said.

“The Niarchos family had the faith to send her back to me (after buying her for 960,000 Gns.) It was a huge compliment and I’m glad I could repay them,” he added before nominating the Prix de La Foret at Longchamp as a likely next target

It is next month’s Champion Stakes at Ascot that could be Free Eagle’s date with Group One destiny after the Dermot Weld-trained colt returned from a year out of action to record a scintillating comeback victory in the Enterprise Stakes.

Runner-up to Australia at this meeting in 2013, Free Eagle was widely anticipated to be a classic prospect in the making in the spring only to suffer a stress-fracture to his tibia which put him standing in a box for 12 weeks.

Saturday’s Group Three prize was the first realistic option to run him this year and he left a deep impression by streaking clear of his opposition.

“What might have been,” sighed Weld afterwards. “Losing him like that was a big blow. But such is life.”

The trainer added: “He’s very laid back and it was difficult enough to get him fit as I wanted for today but he was pretty right. He should improve and have one more run this season. The English Champion looks the logical race. He’s just a very good horse. The worry now is he stays sound and right.”

John F Kennedy is as low as 6 to 1 favourite for next year’s Derby after running out a ready winner of the Group Three Juvenile Turf Stakes, the race won by Australia from Free Eagle last year.

“He could go anywhere,” said Aidan O’Brien. “We would be thinking of him maybe as a Dewhurst horse but we’ll see, He has plenty of pace. He’ll still grow up more. He’s very exciting. Around the inside (track) here it is tight and he had a lot to learn, and learn quick. It was great experience.”