Irish Champions Weekend

Slap bang in its 60th year, Moyglare Stud has come up trumps with Homeless Songs, one of the most impressive Irish 1,000 Guineas winners of the modern era, who is on course to run in Saturday's G1 Coolmore America "Justify" Matron S. at Leopardstown. The stud also has Irish St Leger hotpot Kyprios (Ire) Galileo (Ire), Blandford S. hope Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) and Boomerang Mile contender Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) to look forward to on Irish Champions Weekend but, according to Moyglare's Fiona Craig, Homeless Songs...

Ado McGuinness does not expect the lack of a recent run to count against A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) when the trainer's stable star tackles the G1 Flying Five S. at the Curragh on Sunday.  A Case Of You has recorded two wins at the highest level since joining McGuinness's stable but hasn't been seen since posting a poor run in the Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot. That effort can be put down to the fact that A Case Of You returned from the royal meeting...

After the flurry of top-class action on Saturday, the momentum carries over to Sunday with two different venues offering equally tantalising fare to cap the European racing program's weekend of weekends. Perhaps the great beauty of this 48-hour spell of decadence is that it not only witnesses the decorating of champions but also offers significant insight into those of the near and more distant future. The Curragh's two juvenile Group 1 contests are the last of their kind in this country and arguably the most important, while the established Arc...

Many open questions surrounding some of Europe's best will be answered in the space of less than an hour on Saturday, with Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. and Doncaster's G1 Cazoo St Leger condensed in the middle of an absorbing spell of action. There will barely be time to reflect on the promise of the winner of the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. that forms part of Irish Champions weekend before the focus is switched to Town Moor for its own glimpse of futurity in the G2 Champagne S. In...

Irish racecourses can host up to 50% of their outdoor capacity beginning on Sept. 6 following the Irish Government's latest COVID-19 response roadmap, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. Racecourses may also utilise 60% of their indoor capacity for hospitality purposes should attendees consume food and beverages indoors as long as they provide evidence of their Digital Covid Vaccine Cert (DCC). Attendance in both spheres will be increased to 100% as long as all covid restrictions are lifted on Oct. 22. Regarding Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 11 and 12,...

Longines Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown on Sept. 11 will be a World Pool event, marking the first time Irish racing will participate in the World Pool. Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, which owns Tote Ireland, said, "Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown--day one of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend--is a showcase day in Irish racing, and Horse Racing Ireland welcomes its inclusion in World Pool. The addition of Irish Champion S. Day is a first for Irish racing and is both great news for Irish...

As if Saturday's action did not sate to the full, it is time to gorge while you can on Sunday with another seven top-level contests across Ireland, France and Germany. First up on the schedule is the delayed G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris for the 3-year-old Arc aspirants, which affords the opportunity to welcome back the shock G1 Epsom Derby hero Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the first time since his authoritative success in the July 4 blue riband. It will be fascinating to see how he copes with...

There are few days in the European racing calendar as replete with top-class action as Saturday, with Doncaster's St Leger festival reaching its climax as the Irish Champions Weekend begins at Leopardstown. With the exception of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Godolphin's phenomenon of 2020 Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has emerged to dominate the middle-distance division and he bids to extend that to Ireland as he takes in the G1 Irish Champion S. With Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in opposition, on paper his task involves a simple repeat of his G1...

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will line up for Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown after coming through a Thursday morning gallop in good order, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. This season's G1 Coronation Cup, G1 Coral-Eclipse S. and G1 Juddmonte International winner is the favourite for the 10-furlong contest and will face five rivals including Ballydoyle's Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as this season's G1 Prix Ganay victor Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). "It was a routine piece of work to check his well-being,...

Overseas jockeys will be permitted to bypass Ireland's 14-day quarantine requirement to ride on Group 1 cards, with the Irish government granting an exemption for elite athletes and sportspeople ahead of Irish Champions Weekend next weekend. Irish jockeys traveling overseas to ride in Group 1s will also be exempt from quarantine upon return. "We have had a change in the government protocols concerning sportspeople and athletes published today, but it is very much on a case-by-case basis," confirmed Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Officer Brian Kavanagh. "It will be limited...

Ryan Moore, who rides first call for Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien, has entered quarantine in Ireland as of last Saturday and will be riding in Ireland at Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 12-13. These will be Moore's first rides in Ireland in 2020, as COVID-19 has kept him in the UK earlier in the season. "As people travelling from the UK to Ireland currently have to quarantine on arrival for 14 days, I flew over immediately after racing at Goodwood last Saturday afternoon so that I could ride at the...

The Goffs Champions Sale, a boutique horses in training sale traditionally held in the Leopardstown parade ring prior to opening day of Irish Champions Weekend, will this year take place as an "online timed auction," Goffs revealed on Wednesday. Bidding will open on Sept. 9 and close on Sept. 11, the eve of Irish Champions Weekend. The two-day meeting at Leopardstown and The Curragh will take place behind closed doors.