Curragh Tips on September 13th - Irish Champions Weekend Day 2 Selections

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Sat 12 Sep 2026 12:24

Jon Vine 1 hour ago

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Best bets on day two of Irish Champions Weekend
This famous meeting concludes at the Curragh on Sunday 13th September
Mission Central, Alpha and Red Letter feature in our selections

The Curragh racecourse. (Getty)

Curragh Tips

Irish Champions Weekend Day 2 Schedule
1:45pm Curragh - Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Tips
2:15pm Curragh - Super Auction Sales Stakes Tips
2:50pm Curragh - Moyglare Stud Stakes Tips
3:25pm Curragh - Flying Five Stakes Tips
4:00pm Curragh - National Stakes Tips
4:35pm Curragh - Irish St. Leger Tips
5:10pm Curragh - Blandford Stakes Tips
5:45pm Curragh - Northfields Handicap Tips

Free selections through the full card on day two of Irish Champions Weekend 2026.

The Irish Champions Weekend action moves to the Curragh on Sunday, where four Group One races headline another stacked card. Here are our best betting tips for the Curragh on Sunday.

Irish Champions Weekend Day 2 Schedule

Time	Title
1:45pm	Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bold Lad Sprint Handicap (Premier Handicap) 6f
2:15pm	Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes 6½f
2:50pm	Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1) 7f
3:25pm	BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes (Group 1) 5f
4:00pm	Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Group 1) 7f
4:35pm	Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (Group 1) 1m6f
5:10pm	Moyglare 'Jewels' Blandford Stakes (Group 2) 1m2f
5:45pm	Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap (Premier Handicap) 1m2f

Irish Champions Weekend Day 2 Tips

1:45pm Curragh - Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Tips

I always like backing British raiders in the sprint handicaps in Ireland, and there are several in this field to choose from. Richard Fahey, a two-time winner of the Bold Lad, is represented by STRIKE RED (22/1), who won here at the Curragh in 2023 but could only finish ninth in this contest the following year.

After a winless campaign in 2025, Strike Red has managed to win twice this term. Fahey's eight-year-old scored at Leicester in April and again on his penultimate outing at Hamilton, having also placed in the Epsom Dash and a valuable handicap at Newcastle.

Strike Red wasn't at his best at Goodwood last time out, but he's more than capable of bouncing back off this winnable mark. Seamie Heffernan has been booked for the ride, and I could certainly see the British raider challenging for victory.

2:15pm Curragh - Super Auction Sales Stakes Tips

This sales race has gone the way of the favourite in three of the last four years, and Star Of State is already an incredibly short price to win Sunday's renewal. I don't fancy taking the market leader on, so I'll happily pass this one over.

2:50pm Curragh - Moyglare Stud Stakes Tips

This looks to be a straight battle between Aidan and Joseph O'Brien. Ryan Moore rides Sun Goddess, who stretches out beyond six furlongs for the first time. Green Empress narrowly got the better of stablemate Dancing Destiny as both struck late in the Debutante Stakes, and Joseph's fillies take each other on once again.

ALPHA (6/1) made the running under Wayne Lordan in the Debutante Stakes. Aidan O'Brien's filly didn't exactly go hard early on, but was still in there pitching in the closing stages before succumbing to Joseph's closers in the final 100 yards.

Alpha is a very strong stayer over this seven-furlong trip, so I expect Lordan to turn this into an even stronger test of stamina. Aidan's front-runner seems to be progressing with every start, and if Alpha can keep up the gallop for the entire race, even Sun Goddess could struggle to pass her stablemate.

3:25pm Curragh - Flying Five Stakes Tips

18 sprinters will then line up in the Flying Five. Most of the pace seems to have been drawn on the low side of the track, which should be perfect for MISSION CENTRAL (10/1) in stall four.

Aidan O'Brien's gelding enjoyed an electric start to the season, winning twice on home soil before flying home late to snatch an unlikely victory in the King Charles III Stakes. Ryan Moore's mount then faded after sitting too close to the pace in the July Cup and was barely mentioned as Bacio blitzed his rivals in the Nunthorpe at York.

I see no outstanding candidates in Sunday's field, and Moore will have a huge target to aim at if Night Raider, Partisan Hero and Jakajaro do go off like the clappers. At 10/1, Mission Central looks like a fantastic each-way bet to me.

undefined — Mission Central wins the King Charles III Stakes. (Getty)

4:00pm Curragh - National Stakes Tips

Read our full guide to the 2026 National Stakes to find out who we're backing in this excellent Group One on Sunday.

Visit our National Stakes Live Stream page to watch any of Sunday's races at the Curragh via a mobile or tablet.

4:35pm Curragh - Irish St. Leger Tips

Scandinavia wins. No beating around the bush. Let's move on.

5:10pm Curragh - Blandford Stakes Tips

There will be plenty who back the Star Of State, Sun Goddess, Scandinavia and Thundering On accumulator at the Curragh on Sunday. Joseph O'Brien's Epsom Oaks winner is the class act in this Group Two. However, O'Brien described this contest as "an ideal starting point" for his Classic winner ahead of a busy autumn campaign, and there's a good chance that Thundering On won't be fully revved up for the assignment.

RED LETTER (6/1) was sent off at 11/8 for this race 12 months ago, but bumped into a hardy front-runner in Barnavara, who won easily from the front before following up in Group One company at Longchamp's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting. Ger Lyons' filly ran a cracker behind See The Fire on her reappearance in the Middleton Stakes at York before finishing a solid third behind the excellent Estrange in the Pretty Polly.

Colin Keane's mount struggled in the Prix Jean Romanet last time out, but the combination of a slow pace and soft ground blunted Red Letter's potency. Conditions should be much more suitable on Sunday, and the likes of Timeforshowcasing, Jennifer Jane and Snapretend should set things up nicely for this strong-travelling closer.

5:45pm Curragh - Northfields Handicap Tips

Irish Champions Weekend comes to a conclusion with this 10-furlong handicap. Johnny Murtagh loves to target this race and won it for the third time in six years with Shaool 12 months ago.

RETRACEMENT (16/1) kept on well from the rear to finish fourth behind his stablemate 12 months ago before returning to the Curragh to beat In My Teens in a similar contest the following month. Murtagh's five-year-old struggled on his first couple of starts this season, but showed plenty of life when fourth behind Thread Of Gold in a nine-furlong handicap at Leopardstown last time out.

The form of that contest looks really strong now, and Retracement was actually dropped a pound to 86 for his effort. Last year's winning jockey Jamie Powell partners Murtagh's second string, and there's every chance that Retracement has been laid out for this very race.

Verdict

Irish Champions Weekend 2026 Day Two

Sunday's Top Tips at the Curragh:

Alpha

2:50pm Curragh

@6/1 - 5 Units

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Red Letter

5:10pm Curragh

@6/1 - 5 Units

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Bet at BOYLE Sports

Mission Central E/W

3:25pm Curragh

@10/1 - 5 Units

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Bet at bet365

Retracement E/W

5:45pm Curragh

@16/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £40

in free bets

Bet at BOYLE Sports