Ireland’s master trainer Aidan O’Brien landed another big-race triumph in the Irish St. Leger (Gr.1), and he underlined it by having the first three horses home. The odds-on favourite Scandinavia arrived on the back of two Group 1 wins in a row: the Gold Cup (Gr.1) during Royal Ascot week in June and the Goodwood Cup (Gr.1) in July.
Scandinavia (Justify) lived up to expectations and won by two lengths from the son of Galileo, Queenstown, who in turn was almost a length clear of another son of Galileo, Jan Brueghel.
For a long way Scandinavia and Queenstown raced side by side, but with 300 metres left to run Queenstown had to let go, and Scandinavia could go on to score with jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Scandinavia is ranked seventh on the latest Longines World Rankings with a rating of 127, and that is the highest of any stayer at distances beyond 2,700 metres.
Two Group 1 races for the juveniles on the card at the Curragh
The two-year-olds were in focus on Sunday’s big-race card at the Curragh, and both races were over 1,400 metres.
In the open division Folsom Blues (Wootton Bassett) won the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Gr.1) from Monogram (Kingman). It was the second day running that trainer Joseph O’Brien landed a one-two in a Group 1, after doing the same in the St Leger (Gr.1) at Doncaster on Saturday.
For Sunday’s race O’Brien chose jockey J M Sheridan for the winner, while Colin Keane partnered the runner-up Monogram.
The two-year-old fillies contested the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Gr.1), and it went the way of Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation), with the combination of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore behind the winner once again. Sun Goddess has now won four in a row and five of her seven starts.
Sun Goddess won by just under seven lengths from Green Empress (Saxon Warrior), trained by Joseph O’Brien and ridden by Colin Keane. Joseph O’Brien also had the third horse home, Dancing Destiny (Magna Grecia).
The day’s last Group 1 was the sprint, the Flying Five Stakes (Gr.1) over 1,000 metres for the older elite.
It went to Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett), who won by a length from American Affair (Washington DC). Here it was another branch of the O’Brien family, Donnacha Aidan O’Brien, who trained the winner, with the young Billy Loughnane in the saddle.
Note that our own Great Wish (Night Of Thunder) beat the winner Comanche Brave during Royal Ascot week in June.
Sunday’s card also marked the last Group 1 races in Ireland in 2026.
