Guide to Irish Champions Weekend Sunday

Irish Champions Weekend is perhaps the best two days of Irish flat action in the calendar year, with Group races aplenty as the top trainers and jockeys battle for huge prizes. Day 1 takes place at Leopardstown, with yesterday’s action highlighted by Roaring Lion’s amazing performance to run down Saxon Warrior and win the Champion Stakes. The racing on Sunday takes place at the Curragh, with no less than five Group races and two Premier Handicaps. You can find all our selections on our Curragh Betting Tips page, with this article looking ahead to the key talking points of a mouthwatering day of action!

Idaho looks for St Leger payback two years on

It was almost two years ago to the day when Idaho stumbled and almost fell in the 2016 Doncaster St Leger. He was sent off a warm favourite that day and looked to be tanking prior to taking a false step and unshipping Seamie Heffernan to the turf. It’s been a case of what could have been ever since and two years on, he looks for some compensation in the Irish equivalent. He does, however, have plenty of competition, including Irish Derby winner Latrobe, the up and coming Group 2 winner Flag Of Honour and British raider Weekender.

Aidan O’Brien hoping for another Wonderful Moyglare success

The Moyglare has been won by Ballydoyle a record eight times and Aidan O’Brien will be hoping that Just Wonderful can add another notch on his belt. A Group 3 winner at this venue over the mile, she clearly has plenty of class and potential, but whether she wants this drop in trip has to be questioned. Ryan Moore prefers Zagitova, which could be telling, with the 1,600,000gns yearling arriving here on the back of a good Group 2 third over course and distance. To win, however, she will need to reverse terms with runaway winner Skitter Skatter, who looked plenty inexperienced that day but won the race oh so comfortably.

Races

2.00pm – Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Bold Lad” Sprint Handicap (Premier Handicap) (6f)
2.35pm – Moyglare ”Jewels” Blandford Stakes (Group 2) (1m 2f)
3.05pm – Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes (Group 1) (5f)
3.40pm – Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1) (7f)
4.15pm – Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1) (7f)
4.50pm – Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (Group 1) (1m 6f)
5.25pm – Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes (6f 63y)
6.00pm – Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Northfields” Handicap (Premier Handicap) (1m 2f)

Going and Weather Report

Going: Straight: Good to Yielding – Yielding in Places, Round: Good

Weather: Mostly cloudy but dry, highs of 17°c

Market Movers

3.40pm Curragh – Angelic Light (20/1 into 12/1)

Stat Of The Day

If you backed all of Colm O’Donoghue’s rides at the Curragh this year, you’d be in a massive profit of £56.75 to level stakes. He holds strong claims with Beautiful Morning in the Blanford Stakes (2.35pm) and Still Standing in the Northfields Handicap (6.00pm).