Irish Champions Festival and World Pool Weekend Preview: Leopardstown and the Curragh
Irish racing puts on its biggest weekend of the year on September 12 and 13, and both days count as World Pool events. Saturday's Irish Champions Festival card at Leopardstown runs the full nine race program through the global tote pool operated in Ireland by the Tote, and Sunday shifts to the Curragh for four more Group 1s under the same World Pool banner. Between the two tracks you're looking at eight Group races worth well over five million euros in total prize money.
A World Pool Weekend at Both Tracks
World Pool is the global comingling pool run in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and it lets bettors around the world pour money into the same win, place, quinella, quinella place, forecast, tierce and treble pools as punters betting in Ireland and Hong Kong. Saturday's entire Leopardstown card is included, all nine races. Sunday narrows the focus to the Curragh's four Group 1s, the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Flying Five Stakes, the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Irish St Leger. Bigger pools generally mean sharper prices and less chance of your bet moving the market against you, which matters most in a race like the Irish Champion Stakes where a small field still draws serious money.
Leopardstown Saturday: The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes Headlines
Leopardstown runs nine races on Saturday starting at 1:40 p.m., building through a Listed race and a premier handicap before three Group 1s in the back half of the card. The new for 2026 Golden Fleece Stakes goes at 2:50, the Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes for fillies and mares follows at 3:55, and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, worth €1,250,000 and run over a mile and a quarter, is the 5:00 feature. The Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at 3:20 and the Group 2 TonyBet Solonaway Stakes at 4:25 fill out the middle of the card, and the day closes with a premier handicap run under the HKJC WorldPool banner at 6:10.
The Irish Champion Stakes field is still settling with two days to go before declarations, but the shape of it is clear from last month's Juddmonte International at York. Item, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Colin Keane, won that race by catching Almaqam in the final two strides, and both are among the confirmed entries here, with Item quoted at 2/1 and Almaqam at 6/1. Constitution River, Aidan O'Brien's Derby and Coral Eclipse winner, finished third at York and goes to Leopardstown as the 5/4 favorite despite that below par run, with O'Brien candid that there's no guarantee he bounces back so soon. A Boy Named Susie, trained by Donnacha O'Brien, is another confirmed runner at 6/1, alongside Lambourn, last year's dual Derby winner, Jessica Harrington's in form Hotazhell, Purview and the supplemented Wimbledon Hawkeye for George Scott. We'll update this preview with the final declared field, post positions and morning prices once Leopardstown confirms them.
| Time | Race | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1:40 PM | Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes | Listed |
| 2:15 PM | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Premier Handicap | Handicap |
| 2:50 PM | Golden Fleece Stakes | Group 1 |
| 3:20 PM | Kilternan Stakes | Group 3 |
| 3:55 PM | Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes | Group 1 |
| 4:25 PM | TonyBet Solonaway Stakes | Group 2 |
| 5:00 PM | Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes | Group 1, €1,250,000 |
| 5:35 PM | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Premier Handicap | Handicap |
| 6:10 PM | HKJC WorldPool Autumn Fillies Premier Handicap | Handicap |
Full Leopardstown card, Saturday, September 12, Irish Champions Festival. All nine races run on the World Pool.
The Curragh Sunday: Four Group 1s on the World Pool
Sunday's eight race card at The Curragh runs from 1:45 in the afternoon and packs four Group 1s into a 105 minute stretch: the Moyglare Stud Stakes at 2:50, the Bar One Betting Flying Five Stakes at 3:25, the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at 4:00 and the Comer Group International Irish St Leger, the final Irish Classic of the year, at 4:35.
The Irish St Leger is the day's biggest domestic story. Scandinavia, trained by Aidan O'Brien, arrives unbeaten this season with wins in the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup already banked, and a Leger win would add a third top level staying prize to his year. William Haggas saddles Trustyourinstinct, four times a winner from nine career starts at the Curragh itself and having his first shot at Group 1 level, while Dubai Honour, a four time Group 1 winner, and Arabian Force add depth to the staying division.
The Flying Five, upgraded to Group 1 status in 2018, brings the sprinters to the same card. Comanche Brave, winner of the Group 1 Darley July Cup, heads a field that includes Time For Sandals, a Group 1 winner himself who was unlucky at York, Mission Central, a Royal Ascot Group 1 winner, and Starlust and Rumstar.
The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes for two year old colts looks built around Dr Rascal, unbeaten in three starts, though Giant Sequoia, a Group 2 winner, Haffner, Folsom Blues and Monogram are all confirmed to oppose him. In the Moyglare Stud Stakes for two year old fillies, Sun Goddess, winner of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland, heads the market ahead of Green Empress and Ballinea Star.
| Time | Race | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1:45 PM | Irish Stallion Farms Bold Lad EBF Premier Handicap | Handicap |
| 2:15 PM | Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes | Stakes |
| 2:50 PM | Moyglare Stud Stakes | Group 1 |
| 3:25 PM | Bar One Betting Flying Five Stakes | Group 1 |
| 4:00 PM | Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes | Group 1 |
| 4:35 PM | Comer Group International Irish St Leger | Group 1 Classic |
| 5:10 PM | Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes | Group 2 |
| 5:45 PM | Irish Stallion Farms Northfields EBF Premier Handicap | Handicap |
Full Curragh card, Sunday, September 13, Irish Champions Festival. The four Group 1s (Moyglare, Flying Five, National Stakes, Irish St Leger) run on the World Pool.
Betting the Weekend
The Irish Champion Stakes is the hardest race of the weekend to price with confidence this far out, since Constitution River going off favorite on the back of a beaten run at York tells you the market expects a big bounce back rather than rewarding actual form. Item and Almaqam both arrive with York form that reads better on paper right now. The Curragh card rewards specialists. Scandinavia is the closest thing to a certainty across both days given his unbeaten record over middle and long distances this year, but the National Stakes and the Flying Five both look wide open enough to shop for value across the World Pool's win and place markets rather than settling for the first price you see.
Bet Irish Champions Festival Weekend
Eight Group races, two World Pool days and a Classic to close out the season. This is the best weekend of the Irish flat calendar.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
World Pool is a global comingling pool run in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club that combines win, place, quinella, quinella place, forecast, tierce and treble bets from bettors around the world into single pools. Both days of the Irish Champions Festival weekend are World Pool events, operated in Ireland by the Tote.
Saturday's entire nine race card at Leopardstown is a World Pool day. Sunday narrows to the Curragh's four Group 1s, the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Flying Five Stakes, the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Irish St Leger.
The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 worth €1,250,000, run over a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown as the 5:00 feature on Saturday, September 12.
The Comer Group International Irish St Leger is due off at 4:35 p.m. on Sunday, September 13 at the Curragh. It's the fifth and final Irish Classic of the year, and this year's renewal features Scandinavia, unbeaten this season with wins in the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup.
Eight Group races run across the two days, four of them Group 1s. Leopardstown hosts the Golden Fleece Stakes, the Matron Stakes and the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday, and the Curragh hosts the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Flying Five Stakes, the National Stakes and the Irish St Leger on Sunday.
