Hotazhell stuns big names in Irish Champion Stakes

Hotazhell was a shock 50-1 winner in a thrilling finish to the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, where none of the envisaged main protagonists were a factor at the finish.

Billed as a rematch of the Juddmonte International Stakes, Aidan O’Brien’s Constitution River was the 11-8 favourite to turn the tables on York one-two Item and Almaqam back on home soil.

With Ballydoyle dictating the pace it looked like usual order would be restored when Ryan Moore set sail for home inside the final two furlongs aboard the highly-regarded French Derby and Coral-Eclipse hero.

However, it was in fact Group One action in Germany that was repeated in Dublin, as Jessica Harrington’s four-year-old edged out George Scott’s Munich third Wimbledon Hawkeye (33-1) for a nose verdict, with Constitution River three-quarters of a length back in third.

“I didn’t think he deserved to be 50-1, he’d won a Group One in Germany last time and came here in good form,” said Harrington.

“If you look up all his form from last year it was on ground that was too quick for him. He kept on trying, he got his conditions today and he went and did it.

“Shane (Foley) is very strong, but the horse is very tough. He knows where the winning post is and he put his head down on the line.”

Asked if she thought he had won passing the line Harrington added: “I really didn’t know. I didn’t even hear it (the result) the first time because I was coming down out of the stands.

“Then they said it again and I said, ‘oh my God I did win!’. It’s fantastic to get this on the CV.”

She added: “He’s in the British Champion Stakes and that’s probably where he’ll go.

“We’ve really always thought the world of him. Last year was just one of those years, he should have won in America and he got a bad run around in the race. Things just didn’t go right for him.

“Even at the beginning of this year he took a while to get going. These races are hard to come by and when you get them enjoy them.

“He goes now from here to Ascot and then he’s going to go and be a stallion.

“He always was a good horse. He was a very tough two-year-old and just things went wrong as a three-year-old really.”