THE 2025 Irish Champions Festival is set to benefit from some real international flair, as connections of global Group 1 regulars Asfoora and Shin Emperor have confirmed they are on target for the biggest weekend in Irish flat racing.

It comes as a big boost to the Curragh’s Group 1 Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes that last week’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Asfoora is set to continue her overseas adventure by breaking new ground for a flat horse in Ireland. The globetrotting Australian mare, who also landed last season’s King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, is priced up as 7/2 favourite for her Curragh assignment on September 14th, followed in the market by another overseas challenger, Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals (5/1).

Speaking to The Irish Field from his base down under this week, Asfoora’s trainer Henry Dwyer said: “We’re terribly excited to be bringing Asfoora to the Curragh. I’ve been reliably informed she’ll be the first Australian-trained flat horse to race in Ireland [Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s jumper Big Blue finished sixth in the 2020 Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas], so that’s a thrill.

“If she happened to win, she’d obviously be the first Australian horse to win in Ireland, so that’d be an amazing little piece of history for us, who are just essentially a small-ish stable from Ballarat in Australia.

“She seems to have come through her run at York really, really well. I’ve come back to Australia but I saw some videos of her and she’s just glowing. We went into York thinking she was right on the way up and nearing her peak. She’s obviously come out of it well and I think she’ll be even better next time. That really augurs well for the Flying Five.”

Four of the last seven runnings of the Flying Five have gone for export, and British runners were responsible for seven of the first eight home last year. The market suggests that Bucanero Fuerte or Whistlejacket will be the best domestic hopes this time around.

Dwyer added: “I think the field will be pretty similar to what she beat the other day and I don’t think she’ll go backwards from it - I think she’ll take another step forward. If that’s the case and provided we get firm ground, she’ll be very hard to beat. We’re very excited about that.

“I thought the win at York was right up there with her best. Obviously Royal Ascot was special last year but York this year was probably even a bit more special because we needed to prove something. She was going well but her form didn’t really reflect that, with excuses.

“Provided we can get dry ground at the Curragh and everything goes to plan, I’m sure she’ll show how well she’s going again. We’re really excited about it.”

Japanese hope

Meanwhile, Japanese middle-distance performer Shin Emperor was reportedly due to land in Ireland on Friday ahead of his second attempt to win the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes for trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

The four-year-old brother of Arc hero Sottsass was only beaten a length when third in the Leopardstown highlight last year, splitting Ballydoyle heavyweights Auguste Rodin and Los Angeles despite not having a clear run.

After struggling on deep ground in the Arc, Shin Emperor bounced back to only be beaten a neck in the Japan Cup on his final start of the year before winning the valuable Neom Turf Cup on Saudi Cup day at Riyadh in February.

Now an 8/1 chance to get the better of possible rivals Ombudsman (6/4 favourite) and Delacroix (5/2), he will have to defy a 161-day absence since finishing down the field in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Hiroshi Ando, representing the Shin Emperor team, told The Irish Field: “It has been the plan to come to Leopardstown without a run.He had great performance in the Japan Cup and in Saudi, but he had a disappointing performance in Dubai. We have him in fresh condition again, so we hope he will perform like he did last year.”

Asked how the Siyouni colt compares to 12 months ago, he said: “He is improving. Physically and mentally, he has gotten mature compared to last year.”

On whether regular rider Ryusei Sakai will be aboard again, Ando added: “Yes, he will ride him. He also has an interest in riding in Irish races during the week, so he hopes get some opportunities from local trainers this year.”