Jessica Harrington stuns at the Irish Champions Festival & Saffie Osborne makes history in the St Leger
79-year-old trainer Jessica Harrington saddled a 50-1 shock winner in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes and, at 24-years-old, Saffie Osborne becomes the first female jockey to win a British Classic.
It was an eventful weekend across the globe, read it all here👇
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Here are the stories you need to know:
- Jessica Harrington, at 79, saddled the 50-1 shock winner of the G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, Hotazhell beating a stellar field by a nostril
- Saffie Osborne became the first female jockey to win a British Classic, riding Highwayman to a two and a half-length victory in the 250th St Leger at Doncaster
- The O'Brien family swept all four G1s at The Curragh on Sunday — Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha each winning at least one, with Sun Goddess, Comanche Brave, Folsom Blues and Scandinavia the victors
- Sheza Alibi dominated the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, with the $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick on October 31st now the sole focus for the exciting four-year-old
- Thundering On put herself firmly in Arc contention with a blistering display in the G2 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh
Continue reading for a full round-up across Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, the UK and the USA — and a look ahead to the weekend's action.
What’s Happened
🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺
Sheza Alibi delivered the headline performance of the day at Flemington on Saturday, dominating the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman and jockey Luke Nolen. The four‑year‑old travelled behind the pace before cruising past her rivals in the straight, beating Autumn Boy by two and three-quarter lengths.
Afterwards Moody confirmed the $10 million G1 Golden Eagle at Randwick on October 31st remains the “sole focus” for Sheza Alibi, who may not race again, apart from that, this spring.
There was a shock in the G2 Let’s Elope Stakes when Pondalowie prevailed in a thrilling finish. Trained by Emma-Lee and David Browne, she beat Too Darn Discreet and On Display by a nose and a short neck.
There was a lesser upset in the G2 HKJC-sponsored Bobbie Lewis Quality Handicap which went to Losesomewinmore, for trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly and jockey Craig Williams.
Canada
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby has always enjoyed a Canada raid and he scored a G1 double at Woodbine on Saturday, highlighted when Notable Speech successfully defended the Woodbine Mile. The chestnut, ridden by William Buick, beat Deterministic by a length and a quarter and now has a defence of the Breeders’ Cup Mile on his agenda.
The first leg of the double came thanks to Al Hudaiba, who survived a final furlong swerve to win the G1 Summer Stakes, rallying from mid‑pack to secure a one and three-quarter length victory and earn automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Gimme a Nother captured the G1 E.P. Taylor Stakes, sealing her first North American top‑level win with an inside run under John Velazquez. Graham Motion’s six‑year‑old South African-bred mare overcame a slow early pace to prevail by a neck, following up her win in the G2 Beverly D. at Colonial Downs in August.
Voyager impressed in the G1 Natalma Stakes, surging from sixth to take command in the stretch and secure a Breeders’ Cup berth. The Mark Casse‑trained filly held off late challengers to win by a length and a quarter, marking her first Stakes victory on just her fourth career start.
France
ParisLongchamp staged another day of Arc trials on Sunday, and British trainer Katie Scott celebrated her biggest win to date in the G3 Prix du Petit Couvert. Her Naana’s Shadow made all to hold off Shiri and Rayevka and put herself in the picture for the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye.
The Group 3 Dubai Racing Club Prix du Pin produced another authoritative front‑running performance, with veteran Fort Payne winning by a length and a quarter for trainer Nicolas Caullery and jockey Christophe Soumillon.
The feature middle‑distance contest, the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, went to Andre Fabre’s progressive colt Phineas, who stayed on powerfully to deny Herbal and Daryzan in the hands of Maxime Guyon.
Ireland
The Irish Champions Festival rarely disappoints and there was a wave of good feeling across Leopardstown on Saturday when 79-year-old grandmother Jessica Harrington won the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes with Hotazhell. Ridden by Shane Foley, he beat a strong field containing G1 winners Constitution River, Almaqam and Item by a nostril, giving his jockey his biggest win to date and a place in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland at the end of October.
On the fillies’ side of things, Andrew Balding’s Blue Bolt racked up a G1 hattrick with the minimum of fuss in the Matron Stakes, cruising to a two and quarter-length win over City Of Memphis, while Aidan O’Brien won Ireland’s newest G1, the juveniles’ Royal Fleece, with Darkness Falls. He won by four and a quarter lengths from Jesus Falls and looks an exciting Classic contender.
The action moved to The Curragh on Sunday where the O’Brien family collected an unprecedented sweep of the day’s four G1s. First up was Sun Goddess, who was devastating in the Moyglare Stud Stakes for father Aidan, before younger son Donnacha took the G1 Flying Five with Comanche Brave – now off to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Joseph joined the party a race later, his Folsom Blues charging home by six lengths in the G1 National Stakes, while Aidan rounded things out with Scandinavia’s win in the G1 Irish St Leger. The four-year-old is perfect this season, having won eight in a row, and looks likely to next head to Ascot for the G1 Long Distance Cup on October 17th.
Joseph also took the day’s only G2, his Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On setting herself up for a possible Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe tilt with a blistering display in the G2 Blandford Stakes.
Japan
At Nakayama on Sunday, Justin Chicago caused an upset in the G2 St Lite Kinen, coming home by a length in the hands of Yusuke Hara, for trainer Keisuke Miyata.
At Hanshin on Saturday, there was a close finish to the G3 Challenge Cup which went to Giovanni and jockey Kohei Matsuyama by a neck, beating Kalamatianos.
UK
There was history in the St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday when Saffie Osborne became the first female to ride the winner of a British Classic. Riding Highwayman for Joseph O’Brien, she scorched to a two and a half-length victory over Enceladus, also trained by O’Brien.
Highwayman could be headed for the Melbourne Cup, while Desert Castle is 2000 Guineas-bound after his devastating display in the G2 Champagne Stakes, for Charlie Appleby and Billy Loughnane. The day’s other G2, a strong edition of the Park Stakes, went to More Thunder, who arrived late to beat Flora Of Bermuda and Qirat, for trainer William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand.
Appleby’s red-hot run of form had started earlier in the week when Musical Times unveiled herself as a serious Classic contender too, scorching home by seven and a half lengths under William Buick in the G2 May Hill Fillies’ Stakes. There was notable success for trainer Owen Burrows on the same card, his Waardah taking the G2 Park Hill under Callum Rodriguez.
Caballo De Mar has been a star for trainer George Scott over the past year and he collected another big win in Friday’s G2 Howard Wright Doncaster Cup, while the G2 Flying Childers, for juveniles, went to Hamad Al Jehani’s Final Objective and James Doyle.
USA
Kentucky Downs wrapped up its short meet on Wednesday when Kentucky Belle won the G3 Duelling Ground Oaks Invitational for Flavien Prat and Brad Cox. On Monday, there was a clean sweep of the Graded Stakes races by European shippers. Irish trainer Johnny Murtagh sent over Take Charge Star to win the G2 Mint Franklin-Simpson Stakes in the hands of Jamie Spencer and the same rider took the G3 Mint Millions on Haatem, trained by Richard Hannon.
Joseph O’Brien also got in on the act, winning the Listed Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies with Citrus Springs, ridden by Ben Curtis.
At Churchill Downs on Saturday, Breeders’ Cup winner Filly & Mare Sprint winner Splendora took her current winning run to three in the G2 Locust Grove, striding home by five and a quarter lengths from Yes It Tiz, for jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert also took the G3 Iroquois Stakes, the first step on the Kentucky Derby trail, with Salahudin, ridden by Jose Ortiz.
What’s Happening
Australia
There are two G1s at Caulfield on Saturday, the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and the Underwood Stakes. Lady Shenandoah, Sepals and Angel Capital are likely runners in the former, while Cosmic Crusader, Aeliana, Birdman, Buckaroo and Lindermann among 15 nominations for the Underwood.
Ireland
It’s a low-key weekend, but Saturday sees Gowran Park host the G3 Lavarack and Lanwades Stud Stakes, for fillies and mares.
Japan
The G2 Sankei Sho All Comers is the feature at Nakayama on Saturday, while the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai. won last year by Eri King, follows on Sunday.
UK
It’s a quiet weekend in the UK, but Newbury stages the G2 Mill Reef Stakes, for two-year-olds, and Ayr Gold Cup weekend includes the G3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes – Scotland’s only Group contest.
USA
There’s no Sovereignty, but Belmont Park reopens with a flourish on Friday when G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young takes on six rivals in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Parx also has its day in the sun, hosting the G1 Pennsylvania Derby and G1 Cotillion Stakes, both useful Breeders’ Cup pointers.
