Racing’s elite flock to Irish Champions Festival Day Two at the Curragh
Johnny Murtagh speaking at the Irish Champions Festival Preview morning, Murtagh enjoyed three winners across the weekend last year and will be hoping similar success this time around Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The Curragh will be the epicentre of the racing world on Sunday for day two of Irish Champions Festival.
“Everything is in place for a brilliant second day of the Irish Champions Festival. We have four consecutive Group 1 races through the middle of the meeting, sequencing that is very rare in the sport,” said Brian Kavanagh, Curragh CEO.
“We are especially honoured to host 28 runners and their connections from 22 different stables throughout Great Britain. This, we feel, highlights the appeal of the biggest days at the Curragh.
“World Pool will join the Tote in bringing the four Group 1 races to a global audience across multiple betting pools offering better returns.
“Even the weather forecast, dare we say it, looks promising! We hope to see everyone at the Curragh, where champions are made.”
British runners often fare well in Ireland’s best sprints, but the last five winners of this race have been home-based at prices of 50-1, 12-1, 16-1, 33-1 and 50-1.
Top weight Sondad returns to the scene of his victory in the Scurry Handicap in July. Mick and David Easterby’s sprinter has since added another big prize at York to shoot up to a rating of 109.
Another hope from across the Irish Sea, Coul Angel, has run very well in valuable handicaps at York on his last two starts without winning for trainer Mick Abbleby. His turn could be soon.
Tango Flare defeated Big Gossey in this race last year at odds of 50-1 and returns for trainer Pat Foley. The pair also fought out a Listed prize here in June.
Other course and distance winners to note from Ireland include Keke, Bear On The Run, Genesis, Headmaster and Staysound Susie.
This contest is restricted to graduates of last year’s Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling & Sapphire Sales. Ten different trainers have taken each of the last ten renewals, eight of those from Britain, one from France and only one home-based. Alparslan won in 2025 for Karl Burke and he went on to land the Group 3 Greenham Stakes earlier this year.
Star Of State sets a very lofty standard and early markets make her an odds-on favourite. On her debut, only the Ballyhane Stakes winner Livenka proved too good before she bolted up by nine lengths at Leopardstown. She then ran second in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York last month to a rating of 107.
Rivals with winning form include Switching Sides, trained by Jessica Harrington, and Robson de Aguiar’s Atlantic Bridge, both of whom are prominent in the betting.
The British-based Alpe d’Huez, Treasurer and Lord Ragnar also bring winning form.
Aidan O’Brien has landed the Moyglare on 11 occasions since his first in 2000. He has also taken the most recent two editions.
Ballydoyle might fancy their chances of a hat-trick given the strength of its challenge headed by Sun Goddess, already a Group 1 winner at this track in the Keenland Phoenix Stakes last month. She then wowed at York in the Harry’s Half Million By Goffs sales race when, having looked deep in traffic with just two furlongs to race, she fairly flew once clear and scored, eased down, by six lengths.
Alpha hails from the same stable and she looked exceptional in her maiden here in June. A Group 3 has followed but she was a beaten odds-on favourite in the Group 2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes three weeks back.
Joseph O’Brien’s Green Empress prevailed in the latter race, defeating her stable companion Dancing Destiny. The Carriganog trainer has fond memories of the Moyglare having won it as a jockey on Maybe (2011). It was also his first Group 1 winner as a trainer with Intricately (2016).
Ballinea Star represents Robson de Aguiar. She won the Anglesey Stakes here in June and has been kept fresh for this mission.
Since being upgraded to Group 1 status in 2018, the Flying Five has been won by eight different stables, four apiece between Ireland and Britain, three of those short-priced favourites. This year 11 of the 18 declared runners will ship from Britain.
Donnacha O’Brien has reinvented Comanche Brave from miler to elite sprinter, taking both the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at this venue and the Group 1 Darley July Cup. This form should see him start favourite.
The Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes is often a good pointer to this race. Starlust, Rumstar and Time For Sandals finished closest to Bacio, the American speedball, at York last month.
Starlust is a Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner and Time For Sandals a Group 1 Commonwealth Cup winner. The latter was a luckless fourth at York last month, without clear running for much of the final two furlongs.
Meanwhile, four-time Group 1 winner Rumstar has been supplemented at a cost of €40,000 by trainer Jonathan Portman.
Group 1 King Charles III Stakes winner at Royal Ascot, Mission Central is unbeaten in two starts at the Curragh for Aidan O’Brien.
Successful in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at this course and distance in July, Cover Up merits scrutiny also.
One of the most popular horses in training, Big Gossey will take his chance at the highest level. The nine-year-old has maintained a remarkable level of form this year with two Listed wins and twice runner-up in Group 2 events at the Curragh where he has won on ten occasions.
Joseph O’Brien has won this every other year since 2020 and appears to hold a decent chance of keeping the trend going with his Monogram, the horse for money in the early betting.
The Juddmonte-owned colt, supplemented at a cost of €40,000, missed the start badly at this course and distance last month, but he still quickened from the tail of the field to lead on the line. One suspects he will be much sharper for this test. The Carriganog trainer might also be competitive with Folsom Blues, runner-up in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes.
The Ballydoyle challenge is typically potent. All three of Giant Sequoia’s starts to date have been at this 7f, winning the latter pair, most recently at Group 2 level. He is the mount of Ryan Moore ahead of two other stable companions, including Haffner who impressed in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York and Florida Bay.
Four of the last eight renewals have gone for export and the unbeaten Dr Rascal may add to the tally.
Oliver Cole’s colt, owned and bred by mother-and-son duo Julia and Charlie Rosier, proved his mettle in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, defeating Haffner and Group 2 winner Al Hudaiba by half a length.
Porto Vecchio impressed in his maiden victory here in July. This brother to Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs is stabled on the Curragh with Dermot Weld who first won this race in 1977.
Successful in his last seven starts, four of those at Group 1 level, Scandinavia will likely start the shortest-priced favourite of the entire Irish Champions Festival in the final Classic of the season.
‘Relentless’ is the word Aidan O’Brien most often uses to describe this brilliant racehorse. It is apt, too, because he always finds a way to win.
Ballydoyle have also supplemented Queenstown who, after a layoff of ten months, returned with a four-length victory in the Group 3 Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial on August 22.
Dual Group 1 winner Jan Breughel completes a very strong line-up from the Tipperary powerhouse.
Newmarket trainer William Haggas has declared Arabian Force who has placed in multiple stakes races and resumes since a gelding operation in the summer.
Track specialist Trustyourinstinct has amassed four wins and five placed runs from nine Curragh starts for Joseph O’Brien. Another course victory here would provide owner/breeder JP McManus with a first Classic victory.
Thundering On looked sensational when she cruised to victory in the Oaks at Epsom. On a firmer track at this course and distance in the Group 1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes in June, she finished a close fourth. Back from a mid-season break, she is the highest-rated member of the field.
Red Letter seeks to improve on her third place in this race last year for Ger Lyons, while William Haggas sends a very interesting runner in the form of the lightly raced Lilt.
She was a Listed winner at York on only her second start and has not been seen since finishing midfield in the French Oaks in June.
Charlie Johnston has two chances. Timeforshowcasing was a nose second to Hotazhell in a German Group 1 in July and subsequently placed third at the same level in France. He also runs recent Group 3 winner Jennifer Jane.
Symbol of Majesty is worth heeding also, given her supplementary entry fee of €20,000. Runner-up at Royal Ascot in the Sandringham for John and Thady Gosden, she graduated to stakes company at Deauville last month and is open to more improvement, especially on easier ground.
Johnny Murtagh has been the man to follow in the Northfields with three wins in the last six renewals. The Curragh trainer saddles Fixation, impressive in landing both his latest outing at Gowran and the Ladies Derby here in June. He is the mount of stable jockey Ben Coen. Murtagh also runs course and distance winner Retracement.
An English-trained horse has yet to win this race, but the wait could end via High Degree, very consistent in some decent handicaps throughout the summer.
Trainer Andy Slattery has been in rare form all year. He won a big handicap here at few weeks ago with Loughrea and attempts to follow up with God Of Power, one of the early favourites.
There are any number of chances in this ultra-competitive race with 23 declared.
