Ger Lyons, who has a good record at Irish Champions Festival, completed a double in the opening two races on Saturday.
The Juddmonte Farms-owned previous course and distance winner Máire Rua (5/2) won the opening Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes (Listed) for two-year-old fillies under jockey Colin Keane.
The grey daughter of Frankel came on the outside of the 11-runner field to claim victory by a half-length from the favourite Timeless Tale (2/1), with the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair, Snowing (11/1) and Ibelieveicanfly (3/1) third and fourth respectively.
Birthday boy @ctkjockey gets his day off to a flyer! 🎂
Grey Frankel filly Maire Rua comes home best to land the Ingabelle Stakes for the Ger Lyons team. @BallylinchStud | @IrishEBF_ | @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/NtSW3Qtu5D
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026
Ger Lyons said of his first race winner:
“She is nice filly going forward. She was out quick and I got onto the tail of Billy [Lee on Timeless Tale]. She picked up well in the straight and she will have no problem going a mile. She needs racing and needs to learn more.”
Lyons took the second race on the card with the success of Krasimir (15/2) and Reece Holohan in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path (Premier Handicap).
The Tally-Ho Stud-bred bay gelded son of Mehmas won by a head from the English-trained Vafortina (7/1), with the Johnny Murtagh-handled Sindagan (12/1), arguable the unlucky runner in the race. coming home in third, three-quarters of one length behind the runner-up.
It’s Ger Lyons again! 🥇🥇@LeopardstownRC | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/8NVAwcFv64
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026
Two English Winners
British handlers completed a Group double on day one of Irish Champions Festival. Arabian Crown (11/), supplemented for the Group 3 World Pool Bet With The Tote Kilternan Stakes, while the Simon & Ed Crisford favourite Quddwah (evens favourite) won the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes.
A front-running masterclass 🟦🟦@godolphin runner Arabian Crown leads his rivals a merry dance under the perfect front-running ride from @the_doyler in the G3 Kilternan Stakes.@HKJC_Racing | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/s71NtSGWfv
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026
Murphy and McCreer take Premier Handicaps
Tipperary handler Joe Murphy took a Premier Handicap when Immutable (25/1), under Luke McAteer, won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Pettingo Handicap.
The six-year-old bay gelding had a neck to spare over the Joseph O’Brien-trained Yousaynothingatall (6/1) and Oisín Murphy, with Willie Mullins’ Too Bossy For Us (11/1) next home in the hands of Ben Coen.
The final race, the World Pool Bet With Tote Autumn Fillies Handicap (Premier Handicap), went to Ben Coen and Willie McCreery, as Rebel Wave (7/1) got the better of Chica Guerra (18/1) and Killashee Warrior (8/1) by a half-length and a short-head respectively.
