Irish Champions Festival features elite Group 1 racing

The Irish Champions Festival features high-profile Group 1 racing at Leopardstown and The Curragh. A central highlight is the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, which features a rematch between several top-ranked horses that recently competed in the Juddmonte International at York.

Key contenders include Item, the winner of the Juddmonte International, and Almaqam, who finished second in that race. Constitution River, ranked #12 in the Global Rankings, seeks his third Group 1 victory of the season after finishing third at York. Other notable participants include Blue Bolt, who is scheduled to run in the Group 1 Matron Stakes.

The festival continues on Sunday at The Curragh with several Group 1 races, including the Irish St Leger. Notable entries for the second day include Scandinavia and Jan Brueghel, both from the Aidan O’Brien stable, as well as Comanche Brave and Thundering On in the Flying Five and Blandford Stakes.