With the racing of a decidedly muted variety last week, it is worth looking ahead towards this weekend’s Irish Champions Weekend, which is shaping up to a fixture of tremendous quality.

Undoubtedly, centre stage will go to Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes, which promises to be a race for the ages. The participation of the Epsom Derby hero Golden Horn, the dual Guineas winner Gleneagles, the magnificent French campaigner Cirrus Des Aigles, Dermot Weld’s Free Eagle and last year’s victor The Grey Gatsby, makes this a truly outstanding contest.

A strong case could be made for a host of the runners and hopes will be high that Gleneagles and Free Eagle could mount a strong challenge to keep this prize at home, but this is a race to savour and one that provides the perfect centrepiece to the weekend.

Also at Leopardstown, the Group 1 Matron Stakes looks set to witness a fascinating clash between David Wachman’s Legatissimo and the vastly improved English filly Amazing Maria.

Between them, the pair has won four top level events this season and they have proved themselves fillies of outstanding quality. Fresh from a stylish victory in Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes, Legatissimo looks the one to beat, even though she hasn’t been at her best on the two previous visits to Leopardstown.

On the two-year-old front, Air Force Blue will bid to cement his position as one of the star colts of his generation in Sunday’s National Stakes at the Curragh.

The impressive Phoenix Stakes winner promises to be even better over seven furlongs and he can cement his claims as one of Aidan O’Brien’s foremost classic hopes for 2016. However, he will face quite a searching test if Jim Bolger takes him on with Herald The Dawn.

Elsewhere, O’Brien will have high hopes of bagging another Group 1 prize with Ballydoyle in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. She sets the standard on her convincing triumph in last month’s Debutante Stakes at the Curragh.

Irish St Leger

On the same day, the Irish St Leger looks set to attract a strong British challenge, but Kingfisher and Forgotten Rules, second and third in the Ascot Gold Cup, could repel the raiders.

On the sales front, Doncaster’s two-day horses-in-training September sale saw plenty of familiar domestic names come under the hammer.

The sale featured a significant draft from Gigginstown House Stud, which was headed by Tony Martin’s Cheltenham Festival scorer, Savello. The nine-year-old cost English trainer Dan Skelton £46,000. The same vendor’s consignment also featured Enjoy Responsibly, who picked up a decent handicap chase at Killarney in July and he cost Sam Thomas £38,000.

Another to come in at this price was Hisaabaat, who is a dual Grade 1 winner over jumps and finished second in the Triumph Hurdle several seasons ago. Dermot Weld’s charge was bought for a jumping career in America.