Day 1 - Leopardstown
Saturday 13th September, The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes Day
Plan Your Day
Day 1 | Leopardstown
Day 1
Racing at Leopardstown
Last year, Irish Champions Festival kicked off with a nine-race card at Leopardstown on Saturday September 14th featuring five Group races. The two feature races on the day were the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes and the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes. This year's Day 1 at Leopardstown will take place on September 13th.
The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, ranked 6th in the IFHA World's top 100 races in 2023, and the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes, ranked as the world’s best fillies and mares’ race for the past number of years, are the highlights on the opening afternoon at Leopardstown.
Of the nine races on the card in 2024, there was winners trained by 8 different trainers, and of the eight races on the card in 2022 there was winners trained by seven different trainers, which goes to show the level of competition at this flagship weekend of Flat Racing.
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THE ROYAL BAHRAIN IRISH CHAMPION STAKES
This race has become a leading global contest in recent years, providing some top quality contests. In 2024, the race was won narrowly by Economics for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, with previous winner Auguste Roding for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore coming second, and Shin Emperor of Japan for Yoshito Yahagi and Ryusei Sakai coming home in third place. In 2023, the race was won by Auguste Rodin for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore. In 2022 the race was won by Luxembourg for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. The third placed Vadeni went on to finish runner up in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe in Longchamp showing the quality of the race.
Previous winners of the race include house hold names such as Sadler’s Wells, Dylan Thomas, Sea The Stars, Fantastic Light, So You think, and in more recent years the likes of Golden Horn, Almanzor, Roaring Lion, Magical (2019 & 2020) and The 2021 Horse Of The Year, St. Mark's Basilica held firm to narrowly take the win in 2021.
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THE COOLMORE AMERICA 'JUSTIFY' MATRON STAKES
Here we have undoubtedly one of the best races of the season, The Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes was won in great style by Porta Fortuna in 2024 for Donnacha Aidan O'Brien. In 2023, the race was won by Tahiyra for Dermot Weld and Chris Hayes.
There have been some great winners of the Matron Stakes in pervious years including No Speak Alexander, Hydrangea, Laurens, Iridessa and in 2020, Champers Elysees gave Johnny Murtagh his first Group 1 success as a trainer.
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Remainder Of The Card
Elsewhere on the card on Day 1 there is plenty of top class racing apart from the Group 1 action. We also have two valuable handicaps, a Listed Race, a Group 3 and two Group 2’s. In 2024, the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes was won by Green Impact for Mrs John Harrington.
In 2023, the race saw Diego Velazquez take home first place for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore.
In 2022, the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes was won by the extremely exciting Auguste Rodin for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore before going to follow up that success in emphatic fashion in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes in Doncaster.
Of the nine races on the card in 2024 there was winners trained by 8 different trainers, and of the eight races on the card in 2022 there was winners trained by seven different trainers, which goes to show the competition of this flagship weekend of Flat Racing.
