Irish Champions Weekend kicks off with an excellent card at Leopardstown on Saturday. The main event on the card is the Irish Champion Stakes, a Group One which has been won by legendary horses like Dylan Thomas, Golden Horn and Sea The Stars.
Here's our free guide to the 2026 Irish Champion Stakes, including our best betting tips.
2026 Irish Champion Stakes Odds
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Constitution River | 11/10 |
| Item | 7/2 |
| A Boy Named Susie | 7/1 |
| Almaqam | 8/1 |
| Ombudsman | 10/1 |
| Purview | 12/1 |
| Bar | 14/1 |
2026 Irish Champion Stakes Runners
Constitution River's winning run came to an end in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. Aidan O'Brien's Prix du Jockey Club and Eclipse winner was sent off as the 7/4 second favourite, but could only finish third as Item claimed a shock victory.
Andrew Balding's star got the better of Almaqam in the closing stages at York to open his account at Group One level. This season's top two three-year-olds will clash again at Leopardstown, and it's Constitution River who leads the way in the betting.
Ed Walker will again be represented by Almaqam, who claimed his first Group One victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh earlier in the season. A Boy Named Susie followed Constitution River home in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown and steps back into Group One company following a welcome victory in the Royal Whip Stakes.
George Scott has supplemented Wimbledon Hawkeye for Saturday's feature after watching his star claim Group Three honours at Deauville last month. Jessica Harrington's Hotazhell beat Wimbledon Hawkeye when scoring at the highest level in Germany in July. Pierre-Charles Boudot travels to Ireland to ride Hawk Mountain, while Lambourn also represents Ballydoyle in Saturday's main event.
2026 Irish Champion Stakes Tips
It's crazy to think that a former Epsom Derby winner who finished fourth in a King George last time out could be used as a pacemaker. However, this is Aidan O'Brien's world and we all live in it, so Lambourn will be tasked with setting a solid pace.
The top four in the market should all benefit from a strongly run race. Constitution River got lit up at York and never really settled, which would account for his reasonably weak finish. Item is a three-year-old on the up, but has never travelled abroad before. Almaqam is a proven Group One winner on Irish soil – I just find it hard to see him backing up that massive performance in the Juddmonte International, given that most of his best efforts have come following a significant break.
A BOY NAMED SUSIE (8/1) is a very interesting contender. Donnacha O'Brien's gelding boasts form with all of the other leading three-year-olds in Ireland and could have finished closer to Constitution River in both the Prix du Jockey Club and the Coral-Eclipse had he been ridden a little more prominently from the start.
Oisin Murphy allowed his mount to sit behind the leaders on his latest appearance in the Royal Whip Stakes. The 1/7 favourite didn't have much to beat that day, but I liked the way he quickened clear of the field and put the race to bed.
O'Brien's raider encountered traffic on a couple of occasions before staying on to finish fourth in the Prix du Jockey Club. Constitution River didn't exactly shake him off in the Eclipse either, simply holding A Boy Named Susie at arm's length down the home straight on ground that would have been as quick as Donnacha O'Brien's gelding would have wanted.
Murphy will need to be alert from the get-go from stall two, as a slow beginning could see A Boy Named Susie get boxed in against the rail. I don't think there's as much between him and Constitution River as the betting would have you believe, and at 8/1, A Boy Named Susie offers decent each-way value - provided eight runners remain in the final field.
Live Stream
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