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Day 2: The Curragh

Sunday 12th September 2021

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DAY 2 | The Curragh

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Day 2

Day two of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend moves to the historic venue of the Curragh Racecourse. The racecourse has been completely redeveloped and now rivals the best sporting destinations in the world.
Although the event is held behind closed doors you can still enjoy a fantastic day of top-class racing from the comfort of your own home.

Day 2

Racing at the Curragh

The Curragh Racecourse is home to all five Irish Classic races and is the venue for the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend on Sunday, September 13th.
The four Group 1 races on the nine-race card are the Comer Group International Irish St Leger, the final Irish Classic of the season, the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes.

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The weekend will be action packed with the focus on showcasing Ireland as a world centre of excellence for horse racing and breeding.
Everyone under 18 years of age can attend free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets for Longines Irish Champions Weekend 2020 are no longer available as the event will take place behind closed doors.

Day 2

Racing at the Curragh

The Curragh Racecourse is home to all five Irish Classic races and is the venue for the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend on Sunday, September 13th.
The four Group 1 races on the nine-race card are the Comer Group International Irish St Leger, the final Irish Classic of the season, the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes.
The Comer Group International Irish St. Leger

Opened up to allow older horses to compete in 1983, this race has been won by some truly great stayers with the older horses holding sway over their younger rivals on many occasions. Melbourne Cup winner Vintage Crop won the Irish St. Leger on the way to his historic triumph Australia in 1993 before scoring again 12 months later, while Oscar Schindler and two-time Ascot Gold Cup hero Kayf Tara were other dual winners. The brilliant Vinnie Roe won on four consecutive occasions (2001 - 2004) while the record breaking four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats triumphed in 2007. More recently, there have been equally impressive winners with Brown Panther recording a six-and-a-half length win for Tom Dascombe in 2014 while Order Of St George raced clear in the straight to win the 2015 renewal by all of 11 lengths under Joseph O’Brien. However, he suffered a surprise defeat at odds of 1/7 favourite when losing out Wicklow Brave, a first Classic success for legendary National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins, in 2016 but regained his crown with an authoritative nine-length win the following year. Aidan O'Brien won the race again in 2018 with Flag Of Honour.
The Moyglare Stud Stakes

This Group 1 contest always attracts top-class sorts. Originally a six-furlong contest, the distance was upped to seven furlongs in 1992 when it was won by the Clive Brittain-trained Sayyedati which subsequently won the English 1,000 Guineas the following spring. Since then other fillies that have gone on to Classic glory were the 1997 winner Tarascon (won Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1998), the 2008 winner Again (won Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2009) and the 2010 winner Misty For Me (won Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2011). Sequoyah gave Aidan O'Brien his first success in the race in 2000 and he saddled his seventh winner when the brilliant Minding took the honours in 2015, the first of her seven Group 1 wins. The 2016 renewal saw Intricately, trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by his brother Donnacha, narrowly beat Aidan’s runner Hydrangea. Donnacha followed up that success when winning the race for a second time in 2017 on Happily, trained by Aidan O'Brien which led home a 1-2-3 for the Ballydoyle stable. Last year’s race was won by the Patrick Prendergast-trained Skitter Scatter which was ridden by Ronan Whelan. She provided both men with a first Group 1 success.
Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes

Regarded as Ireland’s most important two-year-old race, legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien saddled the winner on no fewer than 15 occasions with victories from some true giants of the turf like Sir Ivor and Roberto. In more recent times, trainer Aidan O’Brien has come to the fore with winners such as Desert King, King Of Kings, George Washington, Mastercraftsman and Gleneagles. Gleneagles went on to win both the English 2,000 Guineas and the Irish equivalent the following year and win the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Air Force Blue made it 10 wins for O’Brien when running out a ready winner in 2015 and Ballydoyle’s dominance in the race was further emphasised in 2016 when Churchill ran out the easiest of winners. However, Jim Bolger sent out his fourth winner of the race when Verbal Dexterity beat the Gordon Elliott-trained Beckford to win the race in 2017 but the race went for export last year as Quorto scored for Charlie Appleby and owners Godolphin. Like the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is run over seven furlongs.
Derrinstown Stud Flying Stakes

The promotion of the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes is a terrific boost for Longines Irish Champions Weekend and the Curragh Racecourse. The race was run as a Group 1 for the first-time last September, fulfilling a long-held ambition to have such a race in Ireland for older horses. The Flying Five sits perfectly within the European calendar between the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp and is just the fourth Group 1 sprint over five furlongs in Europe. As a Group 2 in 2017, the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes was won by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Caravaggio which had won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. In 2015, the Edward Lynam-trained Sole Power, successful in five Group 1 races, was the winner. The first winner of the race as a Group 1 was the Karl Burke-trained Havana Grey.
The Curragh Programme

Sunday 13th September 2020

2:00pm                        1^st Race: EBF Bold Lad Premier Handicap 6f
2.35pm                        2^nd Race:   Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes (Group 2)
3.10pm                        3^rd Race: Derrinstown Stud Flying Five (Group 1)
3.40pm                        4^th Race: Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1)
4.10pm                        5^th Race: Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1)
4.40pm                        6^th Race: Comer Group International Irish St Leger (Group 1)
5.15pm 7^th Race: Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes
5.50pm                        8^th Race: EBF Northfields Premier Handicap 12f

Fashion

At The Races
LONGINES PRIZE FOR ELEGANCE

Longines Irish Champions Weekend is delighted to bring you the second phase of Longines Prize for Elegance at The Curragh.
Day two provides another opportunity to create an outfit that reflects your own individual style and elegance to watch the oldest Irish classic, The Comer international group Irish St Leger. Use your imagination and capture the beauty of Kildare in your outfit.
We are sorry to announce that unfortunately Longines Prize for Elegance will not be taking place in 2020 as the event will be held behind closed doors.

Food & Beverages

Packages
The St. Leger Restaurant

Situated on the top floor of the new Curragh grandstand, the St. Leger restaurant offers 3-course A la carte fine dining in the most stunning location Irish racing has to offer overlooking the race track and surrounding countryside. The St. Leger restaurant dining experience has received universal praise from guests and it is the ultimate VIP hospitality experience at a height of 20 meters above the racecourse. St. Leger bookings include reserved car parking and access to level 2 grandstand seating.
Packages for 2021 will be available soon.
Oaks Restaurant

The Oaks Restaurant is a stunning dining room in a great location on level 2 of the new grandstand. Oaks Restaurant guests can also enjoy exclusive use of a reserved balcony overlooking the parade ring and the champagne terrace below.
Prices include admission, race cards, 3-course À la carte dining followed by tea & coffee. Guests may be on shared tables depending on group size.
Packages for 2021 will be available soon.

Getting to

The Curragh Racecourse
GETTING TO THE CURRAGH

BY AIR
Ireland has five main ferry ports – Belfast, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Larne and Rosslare, and seven main airports - Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Knock, Shannon and Waterford. If travelling from Great Britain to Ireland by ferry, you can bring your car or go as a foot passenger.
Visit Ireland.com for more information.
By Car
From Dublin take Exit 9 off the M50 onto the N7 southbound. Take Exit 12 off the M7. When you arrive, you’ll find plenty of free car parking. Visit the AA Roadwatch website for more travel information.
By Bus
Dublin Coach provide a race day service from Dublin City Centre (Burgh Quay), Dublin Airport, Belfast, Limerick, Killarney Ennis and Tralee, also stopping in Newbridge, Naas, Kildare Town, Monasterevin and Portlaoise
See www.dublincoach.ie.
By Rail
Mainline trains from Heuston Station (Dublin), Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway to Kildare Town with complimentary shuttle bus to the racecourse. Call Iarnród Éireann at: +353 (0) 1 836 6222.
The Curragh Racecourse
Curragh
Co. Kildare

TEL:

+353 (0)45 441 205

EMAIL:

[email protected]

WEB:

www.curragh.ie