The G1 Irish Champion Stakes was held on September 14th at Leopardstown Racecourse. Shin Emperor, a rare Japanese entry in the race, emerged from mid-pack and responded bravely to Ryusei Sakai's drive with a powerful run to take third place. The winner was the British horse Economics, making his first G1 start, and second was the Deep Impact-bred Auguste Rodin, who was aiming for a second consecutive victory.

After the race, Jockey Sakai commented, "It was a very tough race. Of course, it was very disappointing not to win, but this time we had a great group of top-notch competitors. I don't think there was anything to be pessimistic about. I am disappointed that I could not win, but I would like to grow as a jockey myself, and I will do my best to have a good race next time."

Trainer Yahagi said, "As expected, there were four Coolmore horses in the field and we had one, so it was a tough race. It was too hot in Japan to improve his condition at home, and he gradually improved when he came to France, but I think he did a good job even though he was still at 70% or 80% primed. We came here to win. It is certainly frustrating, but there is a part of me that thinks we had a good race as a prep for his next run. I got a good feeling that if we bring in a horse with a good aptitude, he will be good enough to win."

Their major goal is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Trainer Yahagi said, "All of us will do our best to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, so please give us your support."