Leopardstown

Making his 2026 debut on Wednesday, Ballydoyle's The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) enjoyed a long overdue confidence-boosting win in Leopardstown's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes. Allowed to stride forward from the break by Wayne Lordan, the 11-10 favourite took control two out and saw out the mile test strongly to prevail by half a length from stablemate Expanded (Wootton Bassett). "We're delighted with him and he was just ready to start," Aidan O'Brien said. "The plan was to come here and then go to the Lockinge....

Leopardstown's Wednesday card may be one for referencing later in the season, with another wide-margin maiden winner in Mixed Feelings (Sioux Nation) emerging for the other O'Brien Jr. After Donnacha's Eretria had dominated the opening 10-furlong maiden, it was Joseph's turn in the mile maiden as the Acheson family's Mixed Feelings romped to a six-length success. Third on debut at Gowran on her sole start in September, the Irish 1,000 Guineas entry was in a class of her own as she drew away under Joey Sheridan from Bang Bang (Sands...

3.07 Leopardstown, Listed, 4yo/up, 8fT THE LION IN WINTER (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the star turn in this Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes as Aidan O'Brien looks to provide him with an early confidence boost following a three-year-old campaign that remarkably yielded no wins. Favourite for the Derby at this stage last year, he ended up showing his best at seven furlongs and a mile with four placings at the highest level including a close third in the Breeders' Cup Mile. 1.22 Leopardstown, Mdn, 3yo, f,...

All eyes were on the returning Pierre Bonnard in Sunday's G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, but it was another of Ballydoyle's sons of Camelot who stepped forward into the Derby picture in Christmas Day. While the former showed how short of a peak he was in a lethargic seventh, last year's G3 Eyrefield Stakes winner delivered under Wayne Lordan to cause an 11-1 upset at the chief expense of another stablemate in Endorsement (Wootton Bassett). Aidan O'Brien had warned before the established Derby trial that last year's Criterium de...

Defying a Group 1 penalty in Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love (No Nay Never) proved that seven furlongs holds no fears entering her Classic campaign. Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite for the established 1,000 Guineas trial, the imposing Coolmore homebred who had also taken the Queen Mary and the Railway at two raced towards the fore under Ryan Moore and came up the rail to dominate the closing stages. At the line, there was 1 1/4 lengths to spare...

Emerging on top in an eventful renewal of Leopardstown's G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes on Sunday, Cayton Park Stud and Susan Magnier's Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica) got the Fozzy Stack stable off to a flyer in 2026. "He had been working well this spring and the form was in the book," his trainer said. "We always thought he'd get a mile and although he was a bit keen there, I'm hoping it was just exuberance. He's in all the European Classics bar the Italian and I also entered him...

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is embarking on a pre-market consultation (PMC), aimed at engaging international developers, investors and operators, in order to explore the next phase in the evolution of the Leopardstown Campus. This PMC follows a series of stakeholder briefings held in January, bringing together representatives from across the racing industry, local community, business and public sectors to share information, gather insight and begin an open dialogue on the future evolution of the Leopardstown Campus. According to HRI, the engagement phase of the Leopardstown Campus Masterplan revealed a "growing...

While Team Ballydoyle missed out on the Group 1s at Ascot, Saturday's two-year-old card at Leopardstown well and truly belonged to it with Dorset (Wootton Bassett) making all in the G3 Killavullan Stakes to make it five wins from the first five races. Last seen winning the Goffs Million, the TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard was also completing a treble on the day for Jack Cleary as he registered a half-length success from stablemate Daytona (Wootton Bassett) as the 13-8 second favourite. O'Brien failed to complete the clean sweep...

Leopardstown's Saturday card belonged to Aidan O'Brien and Jack Cleary and their winning sequence included a bright prospect for the 2025 Classics in Christmas Day (Camelot) in the nine-furlong G3 Mongey Communications Eyrefield Stakes. Coming off a maiden win at Gowran Park last month, the 13-2 shot was delivered from the pack to deny A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) on the line and prevail by a short head. "He's progressed from run to run and he took great confidence from the win the last day," Ballydoyle's representative Chris Armstrong explained....

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner and Classic heroine Lake Victoria (Frankel). 4.50 Leopardstown, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7f 30yT DRUIDS GLEN (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is a significant newcomer for Ballydoyle on an intriguing card, being a full-brother to the yard's outstanding Irish 1,000 Guineas, Breeders'...

Capping another red-letter day for Coolmore and Team Ballydoyle and a memorable one for Christophe Soumillon, Delacroix (Dubawi) justified favouritism in style in Leopardstown's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. He also punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 1. Sent off the well-supported 2-1 market-leader, the Eclipse hero sat a way off the strong pace before delivering a jaw-dropping killer kick between the three and the two as if he had just jumped in. In command before his chief rival Anmaat (Awtaad)...

Wathnan's Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot) loves nothing more than a trip overseas for a big prize and the grey was in the winning mood again on Saturday in Leopardstown's G1 Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes. Fresh from regaining her mojo in Deauville's Prix Rothschild last month, the Moyglare and Irish Guineas winner who had been second to Porta Fortuna in this 12 months ago outstayed Exactly (Frankel) in the run to the line to prevail by half a length. Atsila (Phoenix Of Spain) was 3/4 of a length away...