Hotazhell sprung a 50/1 surprise in the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, the highlight of the Leopardstown card on Saturday afternoon.
Trained in Moone by Jessica Harrington, the four-year-old son of Too Darn Hot, was a recent winner at the highest level in Germany when winning over 1m 2f at Munich on 26 July.
For jockey Shane Foley, this afternoon’s win was the biggest of his career to date, as the Silverton Hill Partnership-owned bay colt held off the late challenge of the supplemented Deauville Group 3 winner Wimbledon Hawkeye (33/1) by a nose.
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𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐳𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 (50/1) causes a HUGE shock by edging out Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Irish Champion Stakes!
The big guns have been spiked!@Jessica_Racing | @BahrainTurfClub | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/cTaLqmBitW
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026
The Christophe Soumillon-ridden George Scott-handled runner-up was three-quarters-of-a-length ahead of the race favourite Constitution River (11/8 favourite) in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Almaqam (9/2), who finished ahead of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Constitution River in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York last month, was fourth to cross the winning line, one-and-a-quarter lengths further back.
The win was a 16th Group 1 success for veteran trainer Jessica Harrington.
