The build up to the 2008 St Leger Stakes continues this weekend as the leading lights of flat racing head to Leopardstown to contest the Irish Champion Stakes.

With up to 30 milliliters of rain expected over Dublin before the weekend, this year’s star trainer, Aidan O’Brien, has indicated that he may pull Duke of Marmalade out of the race rather than risk his champion runner on a heavy racetrack.

“The plan is to run Duke Of Marmalade, but if they get all the rain that’s forecast we would be talking about ground that would not be ideal for the horse,” O’Brien told the Racing Post. “Everyone knows he’s a horse who likes good, fast ground, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the weather and review the situation if necessary.”

Duke of Marmalade is favourite in the Irish Champion Stakes betting markets at odds of 1/1 with William Hill. Jim Bolger’s New Approach is his closest challenger at 6/5, while King of Rome, another O’Brien runner is priced third in the Champions Stakes betting markets.

Meanwhile O’Brien also holds onto top spot in the St Leger Stakes betting markets with Frozen Fire priced 9/4 ahead of Conduit at 9/2.