By Tom Frary
Australian Bloodstock's Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett) was the only Group 1 winner lining up for Sunday's G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger and as he crossed the line alone at The Curragh it certainly looked like it. Always cruising throughout the generously-paced 14-furlong test under a clinically-judged ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle, the 3-1 shot swamped the three-year-old Amiloc (Postponed) a furlong out before powering to a four-length success.
“I was able to take my time and every time I asked him he was there,” the rider said of one of the big favourites for the 2025 Melbourne Cup. “The speed was on and I knew my fella was going to have a good kick when I needed it. I got there half-speeding and he quickened up well in this ground. He's so straightforward and he has a great attitude, so you can put him where you want. You could probably look at the Cup races for him next season, he definitely feels like he can go another two furlongs.”
High-class throughout his career, Al Riffa captured this meeting's Vincent O'Brien National Stakes in 2022, gave City Of Troy a real scare in last year's Eclipse and ran away with the Grosser Preis von Berlin shortly after. One of those rarities that is able to reinvent himself as time goes on, the Owning Hill stalwart was asked by Joseph O'Brien to go this trip in last month's G2 Curragh Cup and predictably it was no problem.
This was as simple as a top-level task gets for horse and rider, but with such a generous giver it is crucial to have a jockey who understands how to let it play out and McMonagle was exactly that here. Allowed to languish while the pace cracked those in front bar the Ralph Beckett raider, the winner was able to move through the gears in just the right manner and deliver the fatal blow at the right time.
“We knew the horses that were guaranteed stayers were going to try and expose the stamina of those that weren't and the pace was really strong,” O'Brien said. “Dylan was cool and confident. “He's been a great horse for us and he always turns up and runs his race. I'm delighted for the ownership group, Jamie [Lovett] and all his team.”
“It was a gruelling race, but we'll freshen him up and hopefully get him to the Melbourne Cup,” he added. “He's two-for-two now since he's gone up in trip. He has the right attributes. He settles well, he has a turn of foot and he stays. Hopefully we have a smooth preparation.”
Lovett was on hand to give his thoughts on the Flemington adventure. “He wasn't a hard horse to identify when he went out to 2,800 metres last time. That convinced us that he might be the horse to try and win the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “He'll need to carry weight because they won't miss him, but I feel sure he's the right horse to do that. Joseph knows how to win the race and we have four Melbourne Cups between us.”
Ralph Beckett has Del Mar in mind for the runner-up, “We are very proud of him. Everything went to plan, we just got beaten by a better one. He's still relatively inexperienced and he just loves racing. We always thought he'd go on this ground and I think he'll probably go to the Breeders' Cup Turf–I think that will really suit him and he should get better as he gets older.”
Absolute demolition job
dazzles from off the speed in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh pic.twitter.com/YKC4KwU22h
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 14, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Al Riffa's unraced dam Love On My Mind (Galileo) is a daughter of the Listed winner Moments Of Joy (Darshaan) and a full-sister to the dual G3 Sagaro Stakes-winning stayer Mizzou and the G3 Give Thanks Stakes-placed Eternal Bounty. Moments Of Joy is the leading performer for the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille winner My Emma (Marju), a half-sister to the G1 St Leger and G1 Gold Cup hero Classic Cliche (Salse) and to the second dam of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen hero Satono Crown also by Marju. Love On My Mind also has a yearling full-sister to Al Riffa who sells at this month's Goffs Orby Book 1.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL IRISH ST LEGER-G1, €500,000, Curragh, 9-14, 3yo/up, 14fT, 2:59.87, yl.
1–AL RIFFA (FR), 136, h, 5, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Love On My Mind (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Moments of Joy (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: My Emma (GB), by Marju (Ire)
(€31,000 Wlg '20 ARQDEC; 150,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Australian Bloodstock Two; B-Haras d'Etreham, Benoit Chalmel, Cofinvest & Meridian International SAS; T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Dylan Browne McMonagle. €290,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ger, G1SP-Eng, GSP-Fr & KSA, 15-5-5-1, $1,426,541. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Amiloc (GB), 128, g, 3, Postponed (Ire)–Colima (Ire), by Authorized (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs David Aykroyd; B-Mr & Mrs David Aykroyd; T-Ralph Beckett. €100,000.
3–Al Qareem (Ire), 136, g, 6, Awtaad (Ire)–Moqla (GB), by Teofilo (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (27,000gns 2yo '21 TATAHI). O-Nick Bradley Racing 33, Burke & Partner; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; T-Karl Burke. €50,000.
Margins: 4, 4 1/4, 2 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 2.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Waldadler (Ger), Crystal Black (Ire), Queenstown (Ire), Illinois (Ire), Dallas Star (Fr), Leinster (Ire).
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