AUGUSTE RODIN ROSE from the canvas once again to hold off Luxembourg and Nashwa and win the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

Despite being a dual Derby winner, Aidan O’Brien’s Deep Impact colt had run two inexplicably bad races this season.

Having disappointed badly in the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien worked his magic to get him back in top form to win at Epsom. He was then workmanlike in winning the Irish Derby, before being virtually pulled up in the King George at Ascot.

But it is folly to write off O’Brien and his horses, and dropped back down to 10 furlongs Auguste Rodin was sent off the 11-4 favourite.

Up against Derby runner-up King Of Steel, last year’s winner Luxembourg and multiple Group One scorer Nashwa, punters kept the faith.

With three Ballydoyle runners at the head of affairs they had the run of the race, while Hollie Doyle only had Jim Crowley and Alflaila for company at the rear of the field.

Auguste Rodin quickened by Luxembourg as Point Lonsdale weakened, with Doyle making relentless progress on John and Thady Gosden’s Nashwa.

Ryan Moore was asking for everything on the favourite, and in the last 50 yards Nashwa’s run flattened out and it was Luxembourg who had one last lunge on the rails, going down by half a length with Nashwa a short head away.

“A couple of times this year it just all went totally wrong,” O’Brien said afterwards.

“All the ducks went against him, you usually want them all to go with you but it all went against him.”

O’Brien added: “He’s a very brilliant horse, very tough and very hardy, but he’s a little bit peculiar.”

Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra won the other Group 1 on Saturday’s card, the Matron Stakes, while O’Brien and Moore teamed up again to win the Group 2 Juvenile Stakes with Diego Velasquez.

Karl Burke’s Flight Plan was the 15/2 winner of the Group 2 Dullingham Park Stakes over a mile.