2025 Irish Champions Weekend News - Full Schedule and New Races
The 2025 Irish Champions Weekend is a highlight for flat racing fans, taking place over two action-packed days in September. Saturday’s races are at Leopardstown, with the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes and Matron Stakes among the highlights. Sunday’s card at the Curragh offers four consecutive Group One races, including the Irish St Leger and Moyglare Stud Stakes. The event features some new race times and schedule tweaks, and showcases top horses like January, Delacroix, Asfoora, and Gstaad. Irish Champions Weekend remains a major fixture in the European racing calendar.
- 2025 Irish Champions Weekend runs over two days at Leopardstown (Sat) and Curragh (Sun)
- Key races include Irish Champion Stakes, Matron Stakes, Irish St Leger, and more elite Group contests
- Several schedule changes: new opening races on both days and four Group Ones in a row on Sunday
While British racing fans focus on Doncaster, where the St Leger will take place, Irish flat racing fans will have their full attentions fixed on Irish Champions Weekend.
This two-day extravaganza is the final major meeting of the Irish flat racing season. Day one, Irish Champion Stakes day, takes place at Leopardstown, before Sunday's action moves to the Curragh, where the Irish version of the St Leger headlines a stacked card.
There have been a few changes to the schedule and running order for Irish Champions Weekend in 2025. Here's everything you need to know...
2025 Irish Champions Weekend Day One - Leopardstown
| Time | Track | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2:50pm | Leopardstown | Sovereign Path Handicap (Premier Handicap) 7f |
| 3:20pm | Leopardstown | Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2) 1m |
| 3:50pm | Leopardstown | CMG Group Stakes (Group 3) 1m4f |
| 4:25pm | Leopardstown | Matron Stakes (Group 1) 1m |
| 4:55pm | Leopardstown | Solonaway Stakes (Group 2) 1m |
| 5:30pm | Leopardstown | QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1) 1m2f |
| 6:05pm | Leopardstown | Petingo Handicap (Premier Handicap) 1m5f |
| 6:40pm | Leopardstown | World Pool Bet With Tote Autumn Fillies Handicap (Premier Handicap) 1m |
Leopardstown will stage an eight-strong racecard on Saturday. The Ingabelle Stakes used to open proceedings, but the Sovereign Path Handicap has been moved to the opening slot at 2:50pm.
The Champion Juvenile Stakes, CMG Group Stakes and the Solonaway Stakes remain on the card. As does the Group One Matron Stakes, for which Aidan O'Brien's Falmouth Stakes runner-up, January tops the market.
Delacroix is the clear favourite to hand Aidan O'Brien yet another victory in the Irish Champion Stakes. Saturday's card ends with the Petingo Handicap and a brand new Heritage Handicap for fillies and mares, which is sponsored by World Pool and run over a trip of eight furlongs.
2025 Irish Champions Weekend Day Two - Curragh
| Time | Track | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30pm | Curragh | Bold Lad Handicap (Premier Handicap) 6f |
| 2:05pm | Curragh | Super Auction Sale Stakes 6½f |
| 2:40pm | Curragh | Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1) 7f |
| 3:15pm | Curragh | Flying Five Stakes (Group 1) 5f |
| 3:50pm | Curragh | Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Group 1) 7f |
| 4:25pm | Curragh | Irish St Leger (Group 1) 1m6f |
| 5:00pm | Curragh | Blandford Stakes (Group 2) 1m2f |
| 5:35pm | Curragh | Northfields Handicap (Premier Handicap) 1m2f |
Sunday's card at the Curragh remains largely the same. The action kicks off at 1:30pm with the Bold Lad Handicap Sprint, before the curtain comes down on Irish Champions Weekend with the Northfields Handicap at 5:35pm.
The Super Auction Stakes has been moved up to the second slot on Sunday, with the Group Two Blandford Stakes now set to run at 5:00pm.
The four Group One races on Sunday's card will now take place consecutively. The top two-year-old fillies in Ireland will lock horns in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, before Asfoora leads a talented field of sprinters into battle in the Flying Five Stakes.
Impressive Royal Ascot winner, Gstaad will take on Superlative Stakes winner, Saba Desert and surprise Phoenix Stakes winner, Power Blue in the National Stakes at 3:50pm. Viewers will then take in the Irish St Leger, where both Jan Brueghel and Illinois could represent Ballydoyle.
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