Arabian Crown wins at Leopardstown
Arabian Crown wins at Leopardstown

Leopardstown review and free video replays from the Irish Champions Festival


A round-up of the rest of the action from Leopardstown on the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival.


Doyle claims a double

James Doyle delivered the perfect front-running ride on Arabian Crown (11/1) in the World Pool Bet With The Tote Kilternan Stakes.

Purview was a warm favourite for the 12 furlong Group 3 despite carrying a penalty but was poorly positioned with only two behind him for much of the race given the way the race developed.

In front were Doyle and Arabian Crown, a length clear of Gaucher with Piazza San Marco in third and Sons And Lovers in fourth, all content with their positions.

Doyle drifted off the rail as he straightened up, carrying the whole field towards the centre of the track and over towards the stands for the first time on the card. Purview found himself a little short of room as he tried to quicken but simply found himself with too much to do as Doyle kicked from the front.

Arabian Crown was two and a quarter lengths to the good passing the line with Sons And Lovers holding off Purview for minor honours by a neck.

Video Play Button

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For FreeSporting Life Plus - Join For Free

Arabian Crown was supplemented for the contest by Charlie Appleby who said: "Great ride by James.

"He went to go and make it at Newmarket and was only beaten by Rebel's Romance so he didn't lose too much in defeat that day. He came here fresh, well and I thought he looked great and James gave me every confidence that he was going to go out and do one thing and make it a good, stern gallop and that's what he did.

"He's a world class jockey and he knows what fractions he's doing. Get the fractions right on the front end and a horse that's got half an engine and you've got a chance.

"He might just go for the Canadian International now. That's the plan and will be his next target hopefully.

"It's a great festival. A great festival to watch, it's just trying to find the right horses to come over and be competitive with because you want to come here and be competitive."

Doyle completed a double with an equally straightforward success aboard Quddwah (even money favourite) in the Tonybet Solonaway Stakes.

Audience adopted his usual front-running role in the mile Group 2 and was still just about in front with a furlong to run with Quddwah challenging on his outside and Charles Fort on his inside.

A few strides later, Quddwah began to assert and pulled clear of his rivals to score by a length and a half from Audience.

Video Play Button

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For FreeSporting Life Plus - Join For Free

Ed Crisford, who trains in partnership with his father, Simon, said of the winner: "It's nice to see him back after a summer break.

"There wasn't too much pace on and James gave him a very straightforward ride. He was a little bit rusty when James asked him I thought. He didn't pick up like he was doing in Dubai but he finished off really well. He's a solid horse and hopefully we can give him a crack at a Group 1 somewhere."

Crisford is moving to Dubai to start a new career in October and said: "I've just been out there, literally landed this morning, to see the horses out there. It's just pre-season stuff; they're all doing really well and, hopefully, it will be a good season ahead."

Doyle added: "The field cut up a bit and he was the standout horse on form and if he ran somewhere around that, he would be quite tough to beat in that field.

"You just like things to be simplified for you when you're on the best horse in the race and it can get tricky round here but after a furlong I couldn't be happier. He's a funny horse this though, you never quite know what he's going to do and between the three and the two where Billy [Lee] pressed on a bit, I just had a feel of him and I wasn't so sure if he was there or not but once he straightened up and got organised, away he went.

"I think he'll take a big step forwards, he definitely needed it. He got through the line well enough but he can usually travel a bit stronger than he did today and that will just sharpen him up."

Maire Rua wins at Leopardstown
Maire Rua wins at Leopardstown

Rua runs down Tale

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane combined to win the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes for the fourth time in six years.

Maire Rua (5/2) had won over this seven furlongs on debut before returning a beaten favourite at this level at Cork and it looked for much of the straight as though she would have to settle for minor honours.

Snowing had taken the field along from Bellesque with Timeless Tale and Ibelieveicanfly sharing in third with Maire Rua racing in the next rank. Keane pulled the winner to the outside on the bend into the home straight but the Juddmonte owned filly took time to find her stride while 2/1 favourite Timeless Tale set sail for home.

Just as it looked as though time was going to run out with around half-a-furlong to run, Maire Rua found her stride and cut down her rival close home, winning by half-a-length. Snowing was a length and a half away in third.

Video Play Button

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For FreeSporting Life Plus - Join For Free

Keane, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday, said: "She's a filly we always held in high regard.

"At Cork she got wiped out coming out of the stalls and she never faced into the bridle after that and I thought she did well to finish third under hands and heels. She's been training well since and I think she's a nice filly going forward.

"She was out quick [today], got onto the tail of Billy [Lee], we were a little bit wide but gradually got in and he kept everything tight turning in thankfully. She picked up well and got to the line nicely; I'd say she'd have no problem going a mile but she's not a slow filly by any means.

"She's thriving with each run and she's a filly who does everything easy at home, probably too easy, and that's why she needs racing because that's where she's going to learn."

The performance came as no surprise to Lyons who added: "It was no more than we'd expect her to do.

"I didn't see what Colin felt at Cork, I was very disappointed walking out of the stands on my own but he told me she got murdered; more to the point, he even wanted me to redo the stalls when she came home as she was that badly affected.

"That's more like what I've been seeing and the ideal thing is to go Listed, Group 3, Group 2, Group 1 and see where the ceiling is but at the minute I'd love to go for the Fillies' Mile or something like that. She needs experience so I definitely want to find something else between now and the end of the season."

Maire Rua is 10/1 with Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket and 33/1 for the 1000 Guineas in May.


Holohan is the one

Lyons was at it again as seven pound claimer Reese Holohan produced Krasimir (15/2) with a sustained challenge to claim the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Handicap (replay below).

Andab hit the front in the straight but had been overhauled by the furlong marker with leading fancy Vafortino keeping on well from a prominent position to be an eventual second.

Krasimir had built up a head of steam in the centre of the course and passed half a dozen rivals in the final furlong to win by a head.

There was three parts of a length back to Sindagan in third with Oro Blanco a head fourth.

"He's been a bundle of consistency all season," said Lyons.

"Full credit to the young man [Holohan], I've been watching him from afar. I don't normally ring agents but I rang for him at the weights and with his claim I thought he'd be well in. You wouldn't normally say that with English horses coming over but I thought he was, just a good, tough, solid horse that's grown into himself all summer and I think he deserves that win.

"He knows where the winning post is the kid. I've been watching him all summer. Every year you see one and I think he's the one this year."

Following the shock result in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, there was another bookmaker friendly return when Immutable (25/1) edged out 6/1 chance Yousaynothingatall and Too Bossy For Us (11/1) in a thrilling finish to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Handicap for Luke McAteer and Joseph Murphy.

Willie McCreery and Ben Coen got on the score sheet in the closing World Pool Bet With Tote Autumn Fillies Handicap.

The pair combined with the hat-trick seeking Rebel Wave who produced a powerful finish to win by around half-a-length at odds of 7/1 in another tight conclusion.

Video Play Button

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For FreeSporting Life Plus - Join For Free


More from Sporting Life

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?

Next Off

Follow & Track
Image of a horse race faded in a gold gradientYour favourite horses, jockeys and trainers with My Stable
Log in
Discover Sporting Life Plus benefitsWhite Chevron
Sporting Life Plus Logo

Most Followed

MOST READ RACING