Sunday, 14 September sees the second half of the Irish Champions Festival at Curragh races and the card has four Group 1s on it. That means a stellar day of racing from the Headquarters of the Flat in the Emerald Isle with something for everyone.
Sprinting fans have the Flying Five Stakes to look forward to. Alongside that are two top juvenile races in the Moyglare Stud Stakes for fillies and Vincent O’Brien National Stakes for colts. Completing the quartet of Group 1s is the Irish St Leger over a mile-and-three-quarters.
Besides a middle-distance Group 2 for fillies and mares, the supporting card of Irish Champions Festival Curragh races has a couple of Premier Handicaps and a valuable Sales race on it. We’ve stuck to the best of the action when asking our horse racing experts for their Sunday selections, however.
That is because of the huge quality on show in Ireland on this day. Using the tried and tested approach of online horse racing bookies for the latest odds and a nose in the form book, check out analysis on the five Group races from the card below. Our experts’ analysis comes with reasoned arguments you can read below…
Irish Champions Festival Curragh Races Preview for Sunday, 14 September
2:40 – 7f Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Fillies)
She’s some filly … 💫
Composing was simply operating on another level in the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh! pic.twitter.com/XaNomCPxgS
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) August 23, 2025
Unbeaten Karl Burke raider Venetian Sun has done nothing wrong and arrives here off the back of Prix Morny glory in France. She faces a three-pronged attack from Ballydoyle, however. The pick of the Aidan O’Brien trio looks like dual course and distance scorer COMPOSING seeking a four-timer. She beat re-opposing duo Skydance and Suzie Songs in Pattern races around Leopardstown and here on her last couple of outings.
A mark of 110 for Composing leaves her 3lb behind Venetian Sun, but there’s no substitute for course form. Beautify is less exposed than the market principals, meanwhile, and made all over 6f in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes in June. It looks as though she’s been laid out for this ever since. Completing the O’Brien trio in the line up is Precise on her hat-trick.
While this race will establish the pecking order with Ballydoyle’s juvenile fillies, this one landed a Goodwood Group 3 last time out. The form is mixed with the third coming out and landing a Group 2 mile event at Doncaster in midweek. The runner-up was favourite for the same race, however, and finished last. Joseph Murphy pitches impressive Galway maiden scorer Pivotal Attack right in at the deep end and she completes the line-up.
3:15 – 5f Group 1 Flying Five Stakes
Arizona Blaze bolts up in the Group Two Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes, with David Egan giving the @AMurrayRacing colt a bold front-running ride 👏 pic.twitter.com/lG8jfAsrr0
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) July 19, 2025
Adrian Murray could do with being in better form, but his duo are the only entrants on ratings in the same ballpark as Asfoora. Bucanero Fuerte arrives here off back-to-back victories including the Phoenix Sprint last month, but the owners’ retained rider David Egan prefers Arizona Blaze. The latter has won with cut in the ground and in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes over course and distance from Mgheera in some style on his penultimate start.
Ed Walker’s filly is 3lb better off with Arizona Blaze from July now, so enters into calculations. Whistlejacket has had a disappointing campaign so far, but now gets softer conditions that he seemed to relish as a juvenile. Aidan O’Brien fits him with first-time blinkers that could help sharpen him up as well. A couple of older horses to consider here are Fozzy Stack’s Two Stars and King Power Racing runner Art Power.
Wathnan Racing persist with Night Raider, but it’s been a fruitless campaign for Burke with him. He’s run his best races locally at York. Jack Davison runs She’s Quality, but the filly often finishes second. There always seems to be one sprinter to good for her and, with the division in the British Isles so weak or open depending on your point of view, she’s no more than each-way hopes here.
3:50 – 7f Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Colts)
As a twice-raced and unbeaten Dubawi colt, Saba Desert took his form to a whole new level when landing the Group 2 Superlative Stakes during the Newmarket July Festival. He beat re-opposing runner-up Italy that day and he’s again filled the same spot in the Acomb Stakes. That is why the latter is Ballydoyle’s second string in this behind Gstaad.
Another unbeaten UK raider crosses the Irish Sea here, meanwhile, in Zavateri. Eve Johnson Houghton’s landed the July Stakes, then defied a penalty when following-up in the Richmond Stakes during Glorious Goodwood. The second has since come out and gone one better in a Listed race. Zavateri shouldn’t have any worries confirming form with re-opposing fifth Dorset here.
Given Joseph O’Brien has three wins in the last five editions of the Vincent O’Brien National, punters can’t ignore his North Coast. He completes the line-up after landing the Group 3 Tyros Stakes over further around Leopardstown. North Coast demonstrated clear improvement as he turned the tables on Flushing Meadows from his racecourse debut. This requires another step forward, though.
4:25 – 1m 6f Group 1 Irish St Leger
Crash, bang, wallop – what a stayer!
Hardwicke Stakes runner-up 𝐀𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐚 thrives for a step up to 1m6f with a frankly effortless success in the Curragh Cup 💥 pic.twitter.com/LDSaytuzF0
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 19, 2025
Al Riffa shaped like the mile-and-three-quarters was what he wanted when runner-up in the Hardwicke Stakes during Royal Ascot. He duly went one better in the Curragh Cup here upped in distance to this track and trip when last in action. Both he and Amiloc, with that weight for age allowance, have more going for them than Illinois, who hasn’t lived up to expectations.
Aidan O’Brien hasn’t saddled him to a win since the Ormonde Stakes success around Chester over Al Qareem. Burke takes him on again with the York specialist. Of the others, Leinster landed the official Irish St Leger Trial over course and distance, but is very much the stable second string. Queenstown ran a blinder when third in the Ebor for Ballydoyle, but was previously no match for Al Riffa.
Ger Keane and son Colin combine with Crystal Black, but he hasn’t proved his stamina beyond a mile-and-a-half. German raider Waldadler just did enough to land a Listed race last time out and finished last of six in this race 12 months ago. He needs dramatic improvement, alongside Amo Racing runner Dallas Star, if they’re to have any say in the finish.
5:00 – 1m 2f Group 2 Blandford Stakes (Fillies & Mares)
The gap opened up for One Look and the @ptwomeyracing filly took full advantage under a strong drive from @waynemlordan, adding the Group Three Al Shira’aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes to the CV 🚀 pic.twitter.com/aswQPC6MqE
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) July 20, 2025
Red Letter rates a big threat for Ger Lyons and Juddmonte with further improvement expected from the Frankel filly. She is 3lb worse off with old rival Barnavara from the Jessica Harrington stable and last month’s Group 3 over nine furlongs. That one has previously scored over this trip around Naas, so the step back up in distance should suit her as well as Red Letter.
Gavin Cromwell tries further with Meld Stakes heroine Snellen, meanwhile, but she looked as though she was all out to win around Leopardstown the last day. Lyons second string Naomi Lapaglia looks held on previous encounters with One Look, so must find more. The other three-year-olds either have long absences to overcome or a lot to find on official ratings.
