Irish Champion S. To Be World Pool Event

Longines Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown on Sept. 11 will be a World Pool event, marking the first time Irish racing will participate in the World Pool.

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, which owns Tote Ireland, said, “Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown–day one of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend–is a showcase day in Irish racing, and Horse Racing Ireland welcomes its inclusion in World Pool. The addition of Irish Champion S. Day is a first for Irish racing and is both great news for Irish Tote bettors and for Leopardstown, underlining the benefits of Tote operators around the world coming together to providing bigger pools and better value.”

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York On Top Of The World

York's G1 Juddmonte International S. didn't just provide the world's best 130-rated performance of 2020 for Ghaiyyath (Ire) but, with its stellar back-up cast of seven-time Group 1 winner Magical (Ire), the G1 St James's Palace S. winner Lord North (Ire) and 2000 Guineas hero Kameko, the race was also judged to be the Longines World's Best Horse Race last year on ratings.

Along with announcing the World's Best Racehorse Rankings on Tuesday, Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) also published the list of top 100 Group 1 and Grade 1 races of the year. It is the first time that the Juddmonte International has achieved this accolade and its rating of 125.25 was derived from the average rating of the first four finishers in the race.

William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course at York Racecourse, said, “This is a huge honour and a thrill. It's what we're all about at York Racecourse in terms of trying to attract the very best horses and jockeys to race on the Knavesmire. We're thrilled to be named number one against all the wonderful races around the global sport of horseracing.”

He continued, “We're incredibly grateful to Longines and the IFHA for compiling these ratings, ranking every [Group/Grade 1] race around the world based on the first four horses home. To come top of that pile is a huge honour. We're delighted and grateful for their support, and that of the connections of every horse, and Juddmonte Farms, without whom we wouldn't be able to stage such a magnificent race for everyone to enjoy.”

The QIPCO Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown, in which Magical turned the tables on Ghaiyyath, was the second highest-rated race in the world last year on 124.75, with Armory (Ire) and subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) completing the first four.

With Japan's darling of the racecourse, Almond Eye (Jpn) set to make her swansong, the Japan Cup of 2020 was always going to be special, not least because the field also featured the two best 3-year-olds in the country, Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) and Triple Tiara winner Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). The star trio crossed the line in that order in Tokyo, with Curren Bouquetd'or (Jpn) (Dee Impact {Jpn}) in fourth to make the Japan Cup the third top race of the year on 124.50.

Japan had two races in the top five, the other being the Tenno Sho, which was joint-fourth with the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on 123.75. Also making the top ten were the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, Tokyo's Yasuda Kinen, the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, the QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot, and the Arima Kinen, run at Nakayama.

Churchill Downs staged both the highest-rated race in the world for fillies only, the Kentucky Oaks (119.25), won by Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), and the highest-rated race reserved for 3-year-olds, the Kentucky Derby (121.25), won by subsequent Breeders' Cup Classic hero Authentic.

Among the 11 countries in the list of top Group/Grade 1 races run at 40 different racecourses, Australia, with 25, was the world leader, followed by Britain (18), Japan (14), America (13), France (9), Hong Kong (9), South Africa (6), Ireland (4), Germany (3), Argentina (1), and New Zealand (1). The 2020 list of top races stretches to 103 contests owing to a six-way tie for the 98th spot.

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Magical Could Target Breeders’ Cup After Defeating Ghaiyyath In Irish Champion Stakes

If you get into a battle with Magical you better bring everything you've got because she's a formidable force and proved it once more in this weekend's Irish Champion Stakes, writes Bradley West.

Having been beaten by fierce rival and pre-race favorite Ghaiyyath at York last month, the five-year-old mare exacted revenge by winning a straight fight against Charlie Appleby's star in the showpiece race on Day One of Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

The victory, Magical's second consecutive success in the 1m2f bout, means Aidan O'Brien extends his record as the leading trainer in the race with his ninth triumph.

But O'Brien reserved all his praise for the sire of Galileo highlighting how, in the heat of battle, there are very few better than her.

“What she wants is to always eyeball a horse in battle,” O'Brien said. “Seamie [Heffernan] was happy to make the running today, if William [Buick] was going to go then Seamus was going to go and keep her interested. He gave her a brilliant ride.

“She's one serious mare, when you get into a battle with her. It's really when you get into a battle with her when you really see what she can do.

“We're learning about her all the time. If you get away from her she gets a bit lazy, if you get into a fight with her very few will eyeball her. That's what she did with the colt.

“She's a great filly. It wasn't a big field but my god they were good horses in it.”

Ever the fast starter, Ghaiyyath took to the front in the early running deploying his legendary cruising speed to good effect.

But it didn't take long for O'Brien duo Magical and Japan to enter the fray, as the front three pulled away from the rest.

With not long to go it became a straight shootout between Magical and Ghaiyyath, one which saw Buick ease O'Brien's star away to double up at Leopardstown.

The victory gave veteran Seamie Heffernan another high-profile success in what has been an outstanding season for the 48-year-old.

Having already won the Irish 1,000 Guineas with Peaceful and the Irish Derby with Santiago in 2020, Heffernan crowned a third prestigious Irish showpiece win of the year – with the focus now turning to a potential crack at the Breeders' Cup.

O'Brien added: “We were very happy after York with what she was able to do. She just lost interest a little bit.

“I think so [she'll have a crack at the Breeders Cup]. Something like that would suit her really well.

“But this is a massive race. Of all the European races, prestige-wise, this is probably one of the most, if not the most.

“It's the highest rating race over a ten-year period and it comes out on top of all the races. All the high rating horses turn up here.

“It's the perfect place on the calendar, the perfect ground, the perfect mile and a quarter the perfect distance.”

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FOX Sports To Present Live Coverage Of Irish Champions Weekend This Saturday

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced it has partnered with FOX Sports to present live coverage and analysis of Opening Day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend from Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin, Ireland.

Saturday's special broadcast will air on FS2 from 10-11:30 a.m. Eastern, and will be headlined by pair of Group 1 races: the £1 million Irish Champion Stakes and the £250,000 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes. In addition to the Group 1 events, Saturday's broadcast will also include the Group 2, £125,000 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.

All three races are part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series with the winners earning automatic and free entry to the Breeders' Cup World Championships on November 6 and 7 at Keeneland Race Course. The winner of the Irish Champion Stakes heads to the Breeders' Cup Longines Turf, with the winner of Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes qualifying for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf. The KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes winner will head to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Post time for the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes for 3-year-olds & up at 1 ¼ miles on the turf will be 11:10 a.m. Coverage of the Group 1, £250,000 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes for fillies, 3-years-old & up at 1 mile on the turf is at 10:10 a.m.; with the Group 2, £125,000 KPMG Champions Juvenile for 2-year-olds at 1 mile on the turf, set for 10:40 a.m. All times are Eastern.

Hosted by Hugh Cahill, Saturday's broadcast team at Leopardstown will include analysts Ruby Walsh and Jane Mangan, commentator Richard Pugh and reporter Brian Gleeson. NYRA's Acacia Courtney will anchor the stateside coverage originating from Belmont Park.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race during the Longines Irish Champions Weekend. Available to customers across the United States, the NYRA Bets app is available on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

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