Best Of The Best added to field

Montjeu heads the 13 entries left in the ESAT Digifone Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown after confirmation and supplementary…

Montjeu heads the 13 entries left in the ESAT Digifone Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown after confirmation and supplementary stage.

The participation of John Hammond's champion in Saturday's race remains in doubt following a slight setback in training. Hammond also has Stop By entered.

The only addition to the field, at a cost of £78,000, was Godolphin's Best Of The Bests, who won a French Group Two in good style last time to earn a tilt at the £450,200 contest.

The Dubai team have won the last two runnings of the prestigious event with Swain in 1998 and Daylami 12 months ago.

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Marcus Tregoning has left Ekraar, who is also entered in the Select Stakes at Goodwood the same afternoon. "Initially he was going to run at Goodwood," said Tregoning, "but because we were paid up to date with him at Leopardstown we thought we would leave him in and take a view over the next couple of days.

"I'll discuss it with Sheikh Hamdan (Al Maktoum, owner) but I think he is most likely to run at Goodwood.

"The horse is really well and is in good form. He is the same size as he was as a two-year-old but he is much stronger now with a lot more muscle and I think he will go on any ground. He is a horse on the upgrade."

Sir Michael Stoute runs Greek Dance, the mount of Johnny Murtagh, and the John Dunlop-trained Golden Snake is the other British entry in the 10-furlong contest, which is the fifth leg of the Emirates World Series.

Sumitas, who finished second to Dubai Millennium in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and filled the same place behind Greek Dance at Munich last time, has been confirmed on course for the race by trainer Peter Schiergen and will be Germany's first runner in Ireland.

Andre Fabre's Indian Danehill completes the overseas entry.

Aidan O'Brien has four colts in, including Giant's Causeway - winner of four Group One races within the space of nine weeks this summer - and Doncaster St Leger entry Lermontov.

"Giant's Causeway is a possible at this stage. We will be watching the Montjeu situation," said the Ballydoyle trainer. "If Giant's Causeway runs then I'll run something else.

"I cantered him yesterday and again today and will canter him all week but you can't undo the fact he had last week off."

The remaining entry is Dermot Weld's Muakaad, third of three behind Golden Silca over a mile last time out.