Horse Racing Ireland has received an excellent and international set of entries for the seven Group 1 races during the Irish Champions Festival, which will take place at Leopardstown on Saturday, September 12 and at the Curragh on Sunday, September 13. Initial entries for five of the Group 1 races closed last Wednesday.

The festival will feature seven Group 1 races for the first time with the Golden Fleece Stakes on Day 1 newly upgraded to Group 1 status, joining the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

Day 2 will showcase four consecutive Group 1 races – the Bar 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes, the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Comer Group International Irish St Leger.

The Golden Fleece Stakes was formerly a Group 2 over a mile. Auguste Rodin won it in 2022 at the start of a career that yielded six Group 1 titles worldwide. Benvenuto Cellini, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby hero at the weekend, prevailed last year.

The race distance will be extended to nine furlongs. The winners of the Listed Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury on August 12 and the Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville on August 16 will be granted automatic entry.

A total of 64 entries were received for this newly minted Group 1. Over half of those remain unraced at present, but ones to catch the eye are Fozzy Stack’s Nola Soul, winner of the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. The runner-up on that occasion, On Just Terms, trained by Joseph O’Brien, is also listed.

The latter trainer has a juvenile Royal Ascot winner of his own as a potential starter: King Of Cloughan, the first winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes under revised conditions, up to six furlongs and catering for more stamina-oriented pedigrees.

Aix La Chapelle won his maiden at the Curragh on debut but was withdrawn at the start of the Chesham Stakes when favourite. He is one of 23 entries for the race from Ballydoyle who also have Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend maiden winners, Abraham Lincoln and Giant Sequoia, in the mix.

Not since 2017 with Hydrangea has Aidan O’Brien landed the Group 1 Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile.

However, he holds a very strong hand in his quest to regain it this year. The master trainer has entered three Classic winners in the form of Precise, True Love and Diamond Necklace.

Precise added the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot to her victory in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas. The first five home in the Ascot race are among the initial nominations, including the runner-up Touleen and Balantina, an encouraging fifth on her first appearance since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last Autumn.

Fallen Angel, winner of this race last year for British trainer Karl Burke in the middle of three consecutive Group 1 victories, may return to defend her title.

Other recent Royal Ascot winners under consideration are Andrew Balding’s Blue Bolt, successful in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes, and the lightly raced Alobayyah, who took the Kensington Palace Stakes for William Haggas.

“We are grateful for the cooperation from France Galop and Salisbury in terms of our new initiative with the Golden Fleece Stakes,” said Mark Clayton, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse.

“Having three Group 1 races on one day is a terrific honour for Leopardstown and the initial entries are encouraging to say the least, headed by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. The level of international interest is marvellous to see also. Nearly one third of our entries for the Matron are from either Britain or France.”

Turning to the Curragh on the Sunday, there is a very international flavour to the Bar 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes, headed by the Japan’s best sprinter Satono Reve, runner-up by a nose in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot recently.

He could be joined by the Australian mare Asfoora, Direct Hit, a South African Group 1 winner now in training with Johnny Murtagh and Aidan O’Brien’s Mission Central, who snatched the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot from Rayevka, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in France. There are 11 more British-trained sprinters in contention at this stage.

The Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, which is consistently one of Europe’s top two-year-old races, produced 65 entries. These include recent Royal Ascot and Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend winners Great Barrier Reef, Nola Soul, Abraham Lincoln, Giant Seqouia and King Of Cloughan as well as 12 British-trained juveniles.

Those to note from the first nominations for the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes for juvenile fillies include the Royal Ascot winners Libertango, trained by George Boughey to lift the Group 3 Albany Stakes, and Victorious, the unbeaten winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.

Others for the Moyglare who shone over the Derby weekend include Group 3 winner Ballinea Star for trainer Robson Aguiar along with Aidan O’Brien’s Group 2 winner, Sun Goddess, and his wildly impressive maiden scorer Alpha.

Brian Kavanagh, Curragh Racecourse CEO, said: “While we have just completed a successful Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend and are looking forward to the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, preparations for the Irish Champions Festival in September are well underway.

“The entries for our four Group 1 races are stacked with quality and it is great to see the promise of international competition from top horses from France, Britain, Australia and Japan taking on the home contenders.

“The Comer Group International Irish St Leger first entry stage closed in May and included the likes of Constitution Hill and Scandinavia. Add it all up and a mouthwatering day of racing awaits.”

Click here for the link to declarations for Day One of Irish Champions Festival.

Click here for the link to declarations for Day Two of Irish Champions Festival.