When is the 2027 Irish Champion Stakes?
The 2027 Irish Champion Stakes is set for Saturday, 11th September at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin. As a premier Group One race, it brings together top middle-distance horses aged three and older from Ireland, Britain, and beyond. The event is a key highlight of Irish Champions Weekend, known for producing exceptional fields and memorable upsets—like outsider Hotazhell’s shock win in 2026. Viewers can catch the race on ITV, RacingTV, or live stream via bookmakers such as bet365. The stakes often serve as a stepping stone to other major autumn races, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
- We bring you the dates and vital information about the 2027 Irish Champion Stakes
- This Group One will be run at Leopardstown on Saturday 11th September 2027
When is the 2027 Irish Champion Stakes?
The 2027 Irish Champion Stakes will be run at Leopardstown racecourse on Saturday 11th September 2027.
What is the Irish Champion Stakes?
The Irish Champion Stakes is one of the biggest Group One races of the Irish Flat season and traditionally provides the headline event on the opening day of Irish Champions Weekend. Staged at Leopardstown Racecourse, the contest regularly brings together some of the leading middle-distance horses from Ireland, Britain and further afield.
Open to horses aged three and older, the Irish Champion Stakes is run over a mile and a quarter. This allows the best three-year-olds of the Classic generation to take on experienced older rivals, often producing one of the strongest fields of the autumn.
First staged in 1976, the race has developed an outstanding roll of honour, with champions such as Sea The Stars, Golden Horn and St Mark’s Basilica among the horses to have claimed the prize.
Who won the Irish Champion Stakes?
There was a huge shock in the 2026 Irish Champion Stakes, as Jessica Harrington's outsider Hotazhell held off another unfancied runner in Wimbledon Hawkeye to claim an unlikely victory at Leopardstown.
Which horses will run in the Irish Champion Stakes?
The Irish Champion Stakes regularly attracts many of the best middle-distance horses in training, including runners that have already competed in major races such as the Epsom Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International earlier in the season. Leading three-year-olds can also take on established older horses at Leopardstown, often producing a high-quality field.
The race is an important target in its own right, but it can also form part of a top horse's late-season campaign. Some runners may go on to contest further major prizes during the autumn, including the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Where is the Irish Champion Stakes run?
The Irish Champion Stakes is run at Leopardstown racecourse, situated in Dublin, Ireland.
Where can I watch the Irish Champion Stakes?
The Irish Champion Stakes will be shown on channels like ITV and RacingTV, but the easiest way would be to stream the race live. If you plan on watching the racing via your mobile or tablet, then bookmakers such as bet365 will allow you to stream the race live.
Irish Champion Stakes Live Streaming
The bet365 live streaming service covers a wide range of horse racing on a daily basis. Here's how to stream the 2027 Irish Champions Stakes live online:
- Visit bet365 > live streaming > horse racing
- Log-in or register for an account (use the bet365 bonus code NEWBONUS if opening a new account)
- Registered depositing users can then watch and bet on live horse racing.
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Irish Champion Stakes History
The Irish Champion Stakes is one of the most prestigious flat races in Irish Racing. The race is open to three-year-olds and above, and a trip of one-and-a-quarter-miles will have to be completed.
The Irish Champion Stakes was first run at Leopardstown in 1986. It's a Group One race sponsored by QIPCO and is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, with the winner guaranteeing them a place in the Breeders' Cup Turf later in November.
Winners of the Irish Champion Stakes often go on to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Europe's most prestigious flat race. The first horse to win both races in the same season was Carroll House, who scored at Leopardstown and Longchamp under Mick Kinane in 1989.
Dylan Thomas is the only horse to win the Irish Champion Stakes twice, successfully retaining his crown in 2007. Aidan O'Brien's star also won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe later than autumn.
Three other legends of the game managed to win the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc in the same season. Suave Dancer managed it in 1991. Sea The Stars landed the double in 2009, six years before Golden Horn won both races under Frankie Dettori.
Although the race is staged in Ireland, British trainers have enjoyed plenty of success in this Group One. Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute, Ed Dunlop and Kevin Ryan have all saddled winners of the Irish Champion Stakes.
Roger Charlton's first victory came in 2017, when five-year-old Decorated Knight defeated his Irish rivals. John Gosden then celebrated his third win the following year, as Roaring Lion defeated Saxon Warrior in stunning fashion.
Aidan O'Brien is the most successful trainer in the history of the Irish Champion Stakes. Aidan's first winner came in 2000 when Giants Causeway won. His eighth and most recent triumph came in 2020, when top-mare Magical headed a 1-2-3 for Ballydoyle.
Ghaiyyath travelled to Leopardstown as the odds-on favourite in 2020, but it was Magical who prevailed once again, retaining her crown with another superb performance.
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