A strong, international field of established Group 1 performers will go to post on Saturday for the 2024 running of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, the feature race at Leopardstown on day one of the Irish Champions Festival.

Attracting runners from Japan as well as leading contenders from Ireland and the UK, this weekend's renewal looks set to follow in the footsteps of 2023, which was judged one of the top ten races in the world and the highest rated run over 2000m.

Through its sponsorship of the Irish Champion Stakes and its relationship with Horseracing Ireland and Leopardstown, within just three years Bahrain has developed a strong association with one of the highlights of the global racing calendar.

Although untried at the top level, a notable runner in this year’s race is Economics. The three-year-old colt has only run four times as he lines up against Auguste Rodin, winner of last year’s race as well as the Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and an array of Group 1 performers.

Economics burst onto the European racing scene in May when easily winning the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York. Following a break he then travelled to France to win another Group 2 race at Deauville in August and there are many who believe in the untapped potential of Economics, who is owned by His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, trained in Newmarket by William Haggas and ridden by Bahrain Turf Club ambassador, Tom Marquand.

As well as Auguste Rodin, champion trainer Aidan O’Brien also saddles Irish Derby winner Los Angeles and multiple Group 1 winner Luxembourg. Other contenders include the Group 1 placed, Ghostwriter, trained in the UK.

A fascinating runner is the Japanese challenger, Shin Emperor, placed in the equivalent of the Japanese Derby. Shin Emperor is in the care of multiple Group 1 winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi and is a full brother to Sottsass, who himself was placed in the Irish Champion Stakes before going on to win the 2020 running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The 2024 running of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champions Stakes is due off at 15.35 local time, 17:35 Bahrain time on Saturday 14 September.