You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Irish Champion Stakes Preview
The Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 race open to runners who are aged three or older. The race takes place in September of each year during the Irish Champions Festival and is run over one mile and two furlongs at Leopardstown racecourse.
Established in 1976, the race was originally named in honour of Joe McGrath, a former racehorse owner and a man honoured for his work with hospital charities.
In 2009, the race became part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, where the winner earns an automatic spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf that same year.
Irish Champion Stakes Information:
- Irish Champion Stakes Past Winners
- Irish Champion Stakes Trainer Statistics
- Irish Champion Stakes Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Leopardstown, then head over to the Leopardstown tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Irish Champions Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Irish Champion Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021 when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2016 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 126%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Irish Champion Stakes, the over-round has been 115%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £115 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Irish Champion Stakes Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Irish Champion Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Irish Champion Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Snow Fairy (2:00.92) in 2012
- Dylan Thomas (2:02.27) in 2007
- Auguste Rodin (2:02.68) in 2023
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Irish Champion Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 17 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +7.75. Ahead of the 2026 Irish Champion Stakes, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 2:00.92 was set by Snow Fairy in 2012, which is the quickest time over that period. The runner was trained by Ed Dunlop and ridden by Frankie Dettori. The slowest winning time was set in 2022 when Luxembourg won in a time of 2:12.10, booked to ride was Ryan Moore by trainer A P O'Brien.
Irish Champion Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Irish Champion Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Irish Champion Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:04.69 | Delacroix (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (8 of 8) 2/1F | Christophe Soumillon A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2024 2:03.20 | Economics (GB) 3yo 9-3 (8 of 8) 7/4F | Tom Marquand William Haggas (GB) |
| 2023 2:02.68 | Auguste Rodin (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (2 of 8) 11/4F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 2:12.10 | Luxembourg (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (6 of 7) 7/2 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2021 2:11.19 | St Marks Basilica (FR) 3yo 9-3 (4 of 4) 5/6F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 2:05.08 | Magical (IRE) 5yo 9-6 (5 of 6) 9/2 | Seamie Heffernan A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2019 2:06.49 | Magical (IRE) 4yo 9-4 (3 of 8) 11/10F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2018 2:07.21 | Roaring Lion (USA) 3yo 9-1 (8 of 7) 8/11F | Oisin Murphy John Gosden (GB) |
| 2017 2:08.36 | Decorated Knight (GB) 5yo 9-7 (10 of 10) 25/1 | Andrea Atzeni Roger Charlton (GB) |
| 2016 2:08.93 | Almanzor (FR) 3yo 9-0 (10 of 12) 7/1 | Christophe Soumillon J-C Rouget (FR) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Irish Champion Stakes have been based:
- IRE: 12 winners with an additional 14 placings from 97 runners
- GB: 7 winners with an additional 11 placings from 36 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 8 runners
- JPN: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2025 Irish Champion Stakes Replay
Irish Champion Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Irish Champion Stakes over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race ten times, with those ten winners coming from Dylan Thomas (2006 & 2007), Cape Blanco (2010), So You Think (2011), Magical (2019 & 2020), St Marks Basilica (2021), Luxembourg (2022), Auguste Rodin (2023) and Delacroix (2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Irish Champion Stakes is John Gosden (3 wins). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Irish Champion Stakes; D K Weld has sent a total of 10 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Irish Champion Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 56-10-23 | -22.91 | -18.04 |
| John Gosden | 4-3-4 | +4.98 | +3.44 |
| J S Bolger | 12-1-1 | -10.38 | -9.63 |
| Roger Charlton | 4-1-2 | +22.00 | +12.61 |
| J-C Rouget | 3-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.20 |
| Ed Dunlop | 3-1-3 | -0.12 | +1.27 |
| William Haggas | 3-1-1 | -0.25 | -0.95 |
| Kevin Ryan | 2-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.38 |
| D K Weld | 10-0-0 | -10.00 | -9.00 |
| Kevin Prendergast | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.70 |
Irish Champion Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Irish Champion Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Ryan Moore, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from The Grey Gatsby (2014), Magical (2019), St Marks Basilica (2021), Luxembourg (2022) and Auguste Rodin (2023). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Irish Champion Stakes are Seamie Heffernan (3 wins), Frankie Dettori (2 wins) and Christophe Soumillon (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Irish Champion Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 10-5-8 | +10.18 | +6.13 |
| Seamie Heffernan | 14-3-8 | -0.25 | +2.91 |
| Frankie Dettori | 6-2-5 | -0.87 | +1.21 |
| Christophe Soumillon | 4-2-2 | +7.00 | +3.40 |
| William Buick | 4-1-3 | +1.00 | +0.78 |
| Tom Marquand | 2-1-1 | +0.75 | +0.05 |
| Oisin Murphy | 2-1-1 | -0.27 | -0.54 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.00 |
| Declan McDonogh | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -4.70 |
| Shane Foley | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
2026 Irish Champion Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 8, 7, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (57%) - Achieved an RPR of 118+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (62%) - Achieved a TS of 100+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Achieved a TS of 101+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl2-4
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Beaten no more -3¾l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Not on HY/SFT/FM (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Ran over 1m2f - 1m4f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Had 3 - 11 wins (Non-Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 3 - 11 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Won within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Carried 121 - 133lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 111+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Placed is not G3/LST/Cl2-3
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Leopardstown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Irish Champion Stakes. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Irish Champion Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Irish Champion Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +15.41, is when runners ran at York last time out.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 place in the past 180 days, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-38.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 8 (3,7) [8 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 8 (4,3) [8 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (4,6) [8 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 6 (4) [7 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 4 [4 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Irish Champion Stakes is York; there have been a total of 11 winners of this race who ran at York last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Deauville; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Deauville last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 123 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 21 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Irish Champion Stakes:
- Galileo (5 Wins)
- Cape Cross (2 Wins)
- Danehill (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Irish Champion Stakes despite multiple attempts:
- Frankel (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Shamardal (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Teofilo (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Decorated Knight in 2017, winning for Roger Charlton at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Andrea Atzeni. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 12 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Irish Champion Stakes, head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters.
Route to the Irish Champion Stakes
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Irish Champion Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Delacroix York - 2nd of 6 (9/4) | Juddmonte International Stakes |
| 2024 - Economics Deauville - 1st of 7 (11/10) | Prix Guillaume d'Ornano |
| 2023 - Auguste Rodin Ascot - 10th of 10 (9/4) | King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes |
| 2022 - Luxembourg Curragh - 1st of 6 (2/9) | Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes |
| 2021 - St Marks Basilica Sandown - 1st of 4 (1/1) | Coral-Eclipse |
| 2020 - Magical York - 2nd of 5 (9/4) | Juddmonte International Stakes |
| 2019 - Magical York - 2nd of 4 (4/1) | Yorkshire Oaks |
| 2018 - Roaring Lion York - 1st of 8 (3/1) | Juddmonte International Stakes |
| 2017 - Decorated Knight York - 5th of 7 (16/1) | Juddmonte International Stakes |
| 2016 - Almanzor Deauville - 1st of 9 (3/1) | Prix Guillaume d'Ornano - Haras du Logis Saint-Germain |
Other Principal races during the Irish Champions Festival
Saturday at the Irish Champions Festival
Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, the highlight of the day being the Irish Champions Stakes, a race dominated by Aidan O'Brien in recent years, with him winning all of the last five renewals and having won the race a total of twelve times.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:40 Leopardstown Champions Juvenile Stakes | Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) 2yo - 1/2 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| 14:15 Leopardstown Solonaway Stakes | Alakazi (FR) 3yo - 7/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
| 14:50 Leopardstown Matron Stakes | Fallen Angel (GB) 4yo - 9/4 | K R Burke James Doyle |
| 15:25 Leopardstown Irish Champion Stakes | Delacroix (IRE) 3yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| 16:35 Leopardstown Petingo Handicap | Happy Pharoah (IRE) 3yo - 9/1 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Paddy Harnett |
| 17:10 Leopardstown Sovereign Path Handicap | Rahmi (IRE) 6yo - 14/1 | J P Murtagh Rory Mulligan |
Sunday at the Irish Champions Festival
The Sunday of the Irish Champions Festival is hosted at the Curragh with four Group 1 races, the highlight being the Irish St Leger. Aidan has not been as dominant in this, with just six wins, three behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 Curragh Bold Lad Sprint Handicap | My Mate Alfie (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | G M Lyons Colin Keane |
| 14:25 Curragh Blandford Stakes | Hanalia (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | J P Murtagh Shane Foley |
| 15:00 Curragh Moyglare Stud Stakes | Lake Victoria (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan |
| 15:35 Curragh Flying Five Stakes | Bradsell (GB) 4yo - 2/1 | Archie Watson Hollie Doyle |
| 16:10 Curragh National Stakes | Scorthy Champ (IRE) 2yo - 12/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| 16:45 Curragh Irish St Leger | Kyprios (IRE) 6yo - 2/5 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 17:55 Curragh Northfields Handicap | This Songisforyou (USA) 6yo - 9/1 | Emmet Mullins Colin Keane |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Irish Champion Stakes Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
