Irish Champions Festival 2026: Race Times, Runners and Prize Money
The Irish Champions Festival brings 17 races, seven Group 1s and more than €5 million in prize money to Leopardstown on Saturday 12 September and the Curragh on Sunday 13 September. Our Irish horse racing betting guide explains the betting options, while this guide keeps both cards together. The Golden Fleece’s upgrade gives Leopardstown three top-level races; the Curragh follows with four, ending the weekend’s Group 1 programme with the Irish St Leger.
Irish Champions Festival race times
The published running orders are below, with race names shortened for readability. All times are Irish local time. Treat these as scheduled starts and recheck for changes on the day.
| Saturday: Leopardstown | Race |
|---|---|
| 13:35 | Ingabelle Stakes |
| 14:10 | Sovereign Path Handicap |
| 14:45 | Golden Fleece Stakes — G1 |
| 15:15 | Kilternan Stakes |
| 15:55 | Matron Stakes — G1 |
| 16:25 | Solonaway Stakes |
| 17:00 | Irish Champion Stakes — G1 |
| 17:35 | Petingo Handicap |
| 18:10 | Autumn Fillies Handicap |
Published schedules: Leopardstown and the Curragh.
| Sunday: Curragh | Race |
|---|---|
| 13:45 | Bold Lad Handicap |
| 14:15 | Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Stakes |
| 14:50 | Moyglare Stud Stakes — G1 |
| 15:25 | Flying Five Stakes — G1 |
| 16:00 | National Stakes — G1 |
| 16:35 | Irish St Leger — G1 |
| 17:10 | Blandford Stakes |
| 17:45 | Northfields Handicap |
Runners: entries are not final declarations
The entry lists provide plenty of interest, but none of the following should be presented as a confirmed starter on that basis alone.
| Race | Notable published entries |
|---|---|
| Irish Champion Stakes | Calandagan, Daryz, Forever Young, Ombudsman |
| Irish St Leger | Scandinavia, Jan Brueghel, Trustyourinstinct |
| Matron Stakes | Precise, True Love, Fallen Angel |
The Champion Stakes names reflect May entries; the Matron list reflects August entries. The St Leger shortlist reflects a 5 September update, which reports Constitution Hill will not travel. Check declarations and jockeys. Racing TV entries report, festival Group 1 entries.
Irish Champions Festival odds: two courses, two feature markets
The weekend’s two headline races deserve separate markets. These dated reference prices use decimal odds; they are not confirmed live offers from an Irish bookmaker.
Snapshots: Champion Stakes, 1 September and Irish St Leger, 5 September. Checked 8 September; confirm declarations, availability and terms.
How much prize money is on offer?
The festival advertises a combined fund above €5 million. The Irish Champion Stakes carries €1.25 million, while the Curragh’s full Sunday card offers nearly €2.5 million. These are race or meeting totals, not sums paid entirely to the winners. Festival overview, Champion Stakes fund, Curragh programme.
Leopardstown brings the close-up theatre; the Curragh opens the frame to sky, wind and galloping country. Across two afternoons, the same conversation travels from Dublin to Kildare: which horse has the class, which one has the ground, and which will still be finding at the line?
TV coverage and tickets in Ireland
