On face value it would appear that Irish flat racing is below the best when you consider that only one Group 1 race here made it into the top 100 in the world contested at that level between 2012 and 2014. That race is the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and it finished in a highly creditable 10th.

There are only a dozen Group 1 races on the flat in Ireland and three of these are restricted to two-year-olds. Races for this age group are not included in the determination of the top 100. Only five races here are open to three-year-old and older horses, two of which are restricted to fillies and the other one is the St Leger, run over a distance that is not so frequently competed for globally.