“Irish Champions Weekend” has €3.73 million up for grabs in September

Horse Racing Ireland has confirmed there will be €3.73 million up for grabs over two days in September when Leopardstown and the Curragh host "Irish Champions Weekend".

Details of all the races over a hugely lucrative weekend were outlined yesterday for a programme which HRI claims will represent the greatest concentration of quality flat racing ever staged in Ireland.

Featuring Leopardstown's Champion Stakes on Saturday, September 13th, and the Irish St Leger the following day, there will be five Group One races in all, two Group Two's, three Group Three's and four premier handicaps worth €150,000 each, making them the most valuable handicaps in Ireland run on the flat.

Been upped
The Champion Stakes has been upped in prize-money to a million Euro and in total there is an increase of €1.4 million on all the respective races compared to 2013. The costs of the increase are being paid for by race-sponsorship and increased contributions from owners and HRI.

"Irish Champions Weekend will, in effect, become the first leg of a European triple crown of end-of-season festivals, to be followed by the Arc meeting in France and British Champions Weekend. This will be a showcase for flat racing in Ireland, creating a high profile event to attract the best horses in the world," said HRI's chief executive Brian Kavanagh yesterday.

“Ireland will now have a meeting which can bear comparison with all other major international racedays,” said Kavanagh.

Over €2 million will be on offer at Leopardstown’s Saturday card which will also include the Matron Stakes while the Curragh will stage the 100th running of the Leger, the final Classic of the season.

"In addition we have the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes and Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes, which has been won by six of the last nine European Champion two-year-olds," said Curragh manager Paul Hensey.