Irish Champions Festival 2025: Irish Champion Stakes analysis and preview 

The 2025 Irish Champions Festival is almost upon us, with Leopardstown and The Curragh staging the two-day event this weekend. 

This unique racing festival is hosted by two courses, one on each day, with the latter day playing host to the final Irish Classic race of the season – the Irish St Leger. 

Five other group races add to a weekend in which champions are crowned and over five million euros are awarded in prize money. 

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Feature race

Day One’s feature is the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, highlighting Leopardstown’s nine-race card opener. 

A mile and two furlongs is the trip that will see horses must conquer, in order for a place in the ‘history books’ and a share of around one million euros in prize money. 

This year’s renewal will see leading Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien look to reclaim the crown for Ireland, after Economics won it last year for British trainer William Haggas.  

It was the first time since 2018 that this race went to a British trainer, with all renewals in between going the way of O’Brien. 

Best shot

The ante-post favourite Delacroix represents his stable’s best shot at winning this race for the 13th time. 

He began this season with two consecutive Group Three victories at Leopardstown, before playing the role of a disappointing favourite in the Epsom Derby. 

However, the three-year-old has since won maiden Group One, it came in dramatic fashion, in Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse. 

The Ballydoyle/Coolmore Stud-owned colt rallied to get up in the final strides, after sitting off the pace and being denied a clear run. 

Form reversed

Though the form of that race has since been reversed, as Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Ombudsman went on to defeat Delacroix when the pair clashed again – in the Juddmonte International. 

On Delacroix, O’Brien said: “I’m very happy, everything has gone well since York. 

“York was a bit of a non-event (for him) really but everything has been good since, so I’m very happy. 

“He’s very fresh so we’re looking forward to Leopardstown.

A good horse

“He’s a good horse, we had it in our head that what happened at York could happen and we were going to follow the pacemaker, but when the Japanese horse (Danon Decile) got in front it kind of changed the whole race.

“He’s very happy on quick ground and he seems very happy with an ease in the ground as well, so I don’t think it matters.”

This will be Delacroix’s first outing since that second-placed effort at York and the outcome is sure to be vital, given how he still holds an entry into the (Group One) Prix De l’arc De Triomphe, in October. 

Next in the market comes Japanese raider Shin Emperor, another who holds an entry at Longchamp next month. 

Finished third

His only visit to Europe came last year, when he finished third in this race and went on to finish 12th in Paris. 

Shin Emperor has raced four times since, with the highlight being a Group Two victory in Saudi Arabia – an effort that followed a second-placed run in a Japanese Group One. 

He is one of two priced at 5/1 to win this race, with Zahrann also in the betting for Irish trainer Johnny Murtagh. 

Group Three winner

After only five career runs, Zahrann is already a Group Three winner and that win came on his latest outing, in a race that saw the Tattersalls Gold Cup winning favourite Los Angeles beaten. 

He will arrive here having won on his only visit to this course – in a Listed race back in June. 

Speaking on the Nick Luck podcast, Murtagh said: “He is coming forward, the first day he ran he surprised us. 

“He wouldn’t show a lot at home, he’s very quiet, he just goes with his lead horse.

“But the first day he ran he was eyecatching, finishing strongly and ever since then he’s been on an upward curve.

“He has only improved and I don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of him yet.

“He’s pretty straightforward and I’m hoping there’s more there, but he will be tested in Leopardstown.”

Trainer Owen Burrows will be without first-choice rider Jim Crowley, as he sends Anmaat (6/1) over the Irish Sea once more. 

Hayes takes ride

Burrows confirmed that Chris Hayes will take the ride on his horse, after Crowley suffered injury in a freak accident at York, over the weekend, he said: “Chris Hayes will ride at the weekend. 

“There is plenty of rain in the forecast which will suit as he loves to get his toe in.

“The horse seems in great form at home, he ran a brilliant race in the Prince Of Wales’s behind Ombudsman earlier in the year when the ground was quicker than he’d like.

“It’s a short straight at Leopardstown but he’s got a great turn of foot, which could be crucial.”

Last year’s Ascot Champion Stakes winner is having only his third run of the season, after finishing second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. 

White Birch rounds off the top five in the betting and he is another having only his third run of the season.

Trainer John Joseph Murphy’s five-year-old enjoyed a perfect (3/3) campaign last season and he completed his hat-trick with a dominant success over the top-class Auguste Rodin, in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. 

After almost a year off the track, he returned with a very pleasing run – at The Curragh – behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Los Angeles, before finishing fourth when trying to defend his crown. 

White Birch is currently trading at around 10/1 to get the win here. 

The rest of the market is wide open, with O’Brien trio Diego Velazquez, Minnie Hauk and Whirl all at 16/1 – though it is unlikely that they will all run. 

Trainer Andrew Balding also has See The Fire entered and she is another trading 16’s.

READ MORE: St Leger Festival 2025: Doncaster Cup analysis and preview