Auguste Rodin and King of Steel finished first and second in the Group 1 English Derby on June 3, an exacta hard to predict. The win by Auguste Rodin was no surprise. He was 9-2 for world-famous trainer Aidan O’Brien. King of Steel, trained by Roger Varian, was 66-1 and ran a brilliant race, leading in early stretch before losing by a half-length. Both colts had mixed results through the summer in advance of their third meeting in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland. :: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. The $1.33 million Irish Champion Stakes is the leading race on an eight-race program that includes two other major stakes that offer berths to Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita. The winner of the Group 1 Matron Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile will earn a position in the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 4, while the winner of the Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes will qualify for the BC Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3. Auguste Rodin followed his win in the English Derby with a victory in the Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh on July 2. The win streak ended with a last-place finish in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/2 miles against older horses on July 29 at Ascot when Auguste Rodin offered no threat with three furlongs remaining. King of Steel has had better form, winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes for 3-year-olds at Royal Ascot later in June and finishing third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, losing by 4 3/4 lenghs to Hukum. King of Steel, a Kentucky-bred by Wootton Bassett, was in contention with a quarter-mile remaining but faded in the final furlong. Both Auguste Rodin and King of Steel will start at 1 1/4 miles for the first time in the Irish Champion Stakes, which drew a field of nine. King of Steel was a slight favorite over Auguste Rodin with European bookmakers as of Thursday. The Irish Champion Stakes will be the Group 1 debut, and first start outside of Britain, for Alfaila, winner of the Group 2 York Stakes at 1 5/16 miles on July 29 at York Racecourse in his 2023 debut. Alfaila has won his last four starts for trainer Owen Burrows, all in stakes. While the Irish Champion Stakes is an intriguing betting race, the Matron and Champions Juvenile Stakes are expected to have heavy favorites. The brilliant Tahiyra, winner of consecutive Group 1 races for 3-year-old fillies in May and June, will race against older fillies and mares for the first time in the $428,000 Matron. Trained by Dermot Weld, Tahiyra won the Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on June 23 at Royal Ascot. Tahiyra’s leading rival in the Matron is stablemate Homeless Songs, a 4-year-old filly who won the 2022 Irish 1000 Guineas and was second by a neck on heavy turf in the minor Heritage Stakes at a mile on Aug. 5 at Leopardstown in her 2023 debut. The turf course at Leopardstown is projected to be good, which may be more to the liking of Homeless Songs. Diego Valezquez, a colt by Frankel trained by O’Brien on behalf of the Coolmore syndicate, will be an odds-on favorite in the $160,000 Champions Juvenile Stakes on the strength of an easy win at 2-5 in a maiden race on Aug. 12 at The Curragh. Haydock Park Sprint The red-hot 3-year-old Shaquille, winner of six consecutive races since October, including two Group 1 races at six furlongs this summer, will be an odds-on favorite to beat as many as 16 rivals in the Group 1 Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock Park near Manchester, England, on Saturday. The $499,000 Sprint Cup Stakes is run at six furlongs and is the leading race in Britain on Saturday. Shaquille won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds on June 23 at Royal Ascot, and followed with a win in the Group 1 July Cup on July 15 at Newmarket in his debut against older horses. In both races, he overcame poor starts. Trained by Julie Camacho, Shaquille was the only horse with single-digit odds as of Thursday. Spycatcher, second by a short head in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 6 at Deauville, France, was 10-1 on Thursday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.