Oisín Murphy described as “surreal” Roaring Lion’s stirring defeat of old rival Saxon Warrior in Saturday evening’s Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The ‘SP’ of Jessica Harrington’s superstar filly reflected a general presumption that Alpha Centauri had little more than a lucrative gallop in front of her. When Alpha Centauri loomed up with her challenge in the straight the script looked set to unfold but for once there was no happy ending. Instead once Colm O’Donoghue went for everything Alpha Centauri drifted left onto Magical and at the line Laurens was in command. “It’s hard to know [if she is sound] as the adrenaline is pumping now.”A post-race veterinary report described Alpha Centauri as being ‘clinically abnormal’.

Source: The Irish Times September 15, 2018 19:18 UTC