Delacroix (2/1 favourite) won the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The win was a 13th success in the contest for trainer Aidan O’Brien, with the winning son of Dubawi ridden by Christophe Soumillon.
The runner-up and third places were taken by the English-trained challengers, Anmaat (4/1) and Royal Champion (18/1), the mounts of Chris Hayes and Clifford Lee respectively.
DELACROIX is a fine winner of the €1.25m Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes! @LeopardstownRC | @BahrainTurfClub pic.twitter.com/WnGT9hdb2v
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2025
Another Irish Group 1 for Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (9/4 favourite) took the first Group 1 contest of Irish Champions Festival when winning the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes for Karl Burke.
The four-year-old grey daughter of Too Darn Hot, winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes at The Curragh as a juvenile and the Tattersalls Ireland 1000 Guineas last year, was ridden this afternoon by James Doyle for Wathnan Racing.
Group 1 glory!
Fallen Angel makes it FOUR top-level triumphs in the €400,000 @coolmorestud ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes on an afternoon to remember for @karl_burke pic.twitter.com/3J0c00rIVJ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2025
The victory was completing a quick double for English trainer Burke, who had earlier claimed the Group 3 CMG Group Stakes with Convergent in the colours of Newtown Anner Stud Farm. The three-year-old bay son of Fascinating Rock was ridden by Clifford Lee.
O’Brien and Soumillon win Champions Juvenile
Benvenuto Cellini (1/2 favourite) won the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes for trainer Aidan O’Brien and Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon.
Racing behind the leader for most of the one-mile contest, the son of Frankel quickened inside the final furlong to complete an impressive five-length victory from Hardy Warrior.
The winner of the race, in which all four runners were trained by Aidan, Joseph and Donncha O’Brien, now gains an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar later in the season.
Benvenuto Cellini is bred to be top-class and the Frankel colt is very good in the Group 2 @KPMG_Ireland Champions Juvenile Stakes, scoring under Christophe Soumillon for Aidan O’Brien @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/AjUzUhIzdB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2025
Necklace is all Diamond in Ingabelle Stakes
Diamond Necklace, backed into 1/2 favourite before the off, won the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes for Aidan O’Brien.
Deputising for the injured Ryan Moore and the suspended Wayne Lordan, Christophe Soumillon oozed confidence in the final furlong as the bay juvenile daughter of St Mark’s Basilica pulled away from the field for a comfortable two and a quarter length victory.
Johnny Murtagh double
Johnny Murtagh’s topweight Rahmi (14/1) came late and wide of the field to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Handicap for seven-pound claimer Rory Mulligan.
Alakazi (7/2) completed a Murtagh double on the day, as Ben Coen rode the three-year-old to victory in the Group 2 Tonybet Solonoway Stakes.
A double at the Irish Champions Festival for @JohnnyMurtagh!
Alakazi hits the line strongly in the €200,000 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes under @BenCoen2 in the iconic Aga Khan colours @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/oTFnkcJxM5
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2025
Happy Pharoah (9/1) gave Donnacha O’Brien and Paddy Hartnett a win in the Petingo Handicap, while the final contest of the nine-race card went the way of 22/1 shot Pink Oxalis for trainer Stephen Thorne and jockey David Egan.
