Montjeu's non-appearance in the $1 million Esat Digifone Irish Champion Stakes has deprived Leopardstown of the world's finest racehorse but instead the track will host one of the world's most remarkable runners.
Giant's Causeway has been pressed into service by owners John Magnier and Michael Tabor and will bid for a fifth consecutive Group One victory, a sixth in all, against an international line-up. He does so with expressions of awe ringing in his ears from trainer Aidan O'Brien.
"It really is unbelievable for a horse to keep doing it as he does at this level. Lots of very good horses have won one or two Group Ones, and spaced out at that, but this lad is very different. Everyone can see what he has done," O'Brien said yesterday.
The race is yet again the Irish leg of the Emirates world series, but with none of the championship principals from the four previous legs taking part, that element is very much a side issue. But what isn't is the week off that Giant's Causeway has enjoyed after his previous thrilling victory over Kalanisi at York.
To use a football analogy, Giant's Causeway has more of the dogged street-fighting instincts of a Roy Keane than the imperious quality of a Beckenbauer. That's more Montjeu's style.
What they both have is class, but O'Brien confessed yesterday to a worry about how much of an edge Giant's Causeway has lost while supposedly waiting in the wings for Montjeu to take centre stage at Leopardstown.
"We know he is the best horse in the race but only the race will tell us if I've done the right things with him since we found out he would be running. The week off has to be a concern," he said.
Certainly more so than the idea of any of the others in the small field launching a Kalanisi-style wide attack to try and avoid eyeballing Giant's Causeway in a head-to-head clash that the odds-on favourite nearly always wins.
The going is not a concern either, with "good to firm" forecast and there was even some watering of the Leopardstown track yesterday in order to keep the jar out of the ground.
The question of pace will be taken care of by Giant's Cause- way's stable companions, and while the Irish champion may not always win by far, it is hard to see any of the four others actually getting their nose in front on the line. Greek Dance has over two lengths in hand of the German runner, Sumitas, on form from a Munich Group One in July; while the Godolphin three-year-old Best Of The Bests looked to find his level when winning a Deauville Group Two last time.
The most dangerous opponent though should be the French raider, Indian Danehill. Andre Fabre and Olivier Peslier almost won this race with Freedom Cry in 1996 and they come here with a colt who is a Group One winner already this year in the Prix Ganay. Indian Danehill will also be fresh, but against that his best form has been on a soft surface. Apart from the £780,000 on offer for the big race there is another £250,000-plus to be fought over and in the Group Three Flying Five. Michael Kinane again looks the jockey to follow, as he rides the Richard Hannon raider, Watching.
This three-year-old, a Sandown Listed winner in July from Thursday's stakes scorer, Lord Kintyre, may be better on a slightly softer surface. But he should cope with this going much better than Namid, Social Harmony and the treble-seeking Tedburrow, judged by fourth placings in the Nunthorpe and in Goodwood's King George.
The O'Brien-trained King Charlemagne appeared to carry his head awkwardly on his York debut but will be allowed bowl along in the opener and so cannot be opposed. Too much early use may have been made of Darialann at Tralee and he can reverse that form with Miltonfield and Gift Token in the September Handicap. Scottish Memories improved from a first start of the season at Tralee to finish third in the Cambridgeshire, and with John Murtagh on his back, should now be at a peak for the Foxrock Stakes.
