An epic encounter is on the agenda tomorrow (Saturday, 11 September) as three of the world’s highest-rated horses contest the €1 million Irish Champion Stakes. It takes place over 2000m at Leopardstown’s famous left-handed track with its sweeping bends – situated just eight kilometres south of Dublin’s city centre.

And, adding further intrigue to this titanic clash is the fact that each of St Mark’s Basilica, Tarnawa and Poetic Flare’s recent G1 battles have all come over different distances to one another.

St Mark’s Basilica secured his fourth consecutive G1 victory in Sandown’s Eclipse Stakes in July over a nearly identical trip to Saturday’s and the fact that trainer Aidan O’Brien – who usually has multiple runners in this event – is happy for this superstar to go it alone adds to the sense that the colt’s qualities are thought ideal for this distance and on his first rendezvous with this track.

O’Brien says of the Ryan Moore-ridden son of Siyouni, who tends to race with his head facing determinedly downwards: “He goes along in a race wasting no energy. He is just waiting for you to ask him and then he has this explosive turn of foot. It’s a weapon that is seriously hard to find in any horse.”

A similar weapon is possessed by the Dermot Weld-trained Tarnawa but, though she won the G1 Prix de L’Opera (2000m) at Longchamp last October, the five-year-old mare who has now accumulated five straight wins – three at G1 level including Keeneland’s Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m) last November – has become much more familiar over a 2400m journey.

Her rider Colin Keane last month became the fastest-ever jockey to partner 100 winners in Ireland and he is unbeaten on the Aga Khan-owned daughter of Sharmardal. She has deliberately been kept fresh, her only 2021 start came when sauntering past decent rivals in the G3 Ballyroan Stakes (2400m) at Leopardstown last month.

Keane admits that Tarnawa – who usually sits well off the speed – takes time to warm into her races: “She is certainly not slow and has a great acceleration. I’m not too worried about the drop in trip.”

In sharp contrast to Tarnawa is Poetic Flare, who began his career over 1000m. He moves up to 2000m for the first time here. There is certainly hope from his pedigree that this battle-hardened three-year-old and two-time G1 winner is able to thrive at this trip.

There is also the real possibility that this four-runner event develops into a tactical battle in which speed up the Leopardstown straight becomes the deciding factor.

Trained by Jim Bolger, Poetic Flare will as usual be ridden by veteran jockey Kevin Manning who is also the trainer’s son-in-law. Manning partnered the colt to both of his G1 wins this year in the 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Newmarket and St James’s Palace Stakes (1594m) at Royal Ascot.

Johnny Murtagh – once one of the world’s finest jockeys – is now making a major mark in his new profession as a trainer. He will be hoping that last year’s winner Champers Elysees can repeat her success in the Matron Stakes for fillies and mares.

But, the favourite for the race will surely be the Aidan O’Brien-trained Mother Earth who gained her second G1 win of the year with a supremely brave effort in last month’s Prix Rothschild (1600m) at Deauville.

Current predictions indicate good ground conditions for Day 1 of Irish Champions Weekend this Saturday at Leopardstown.