Deirdre and Oisin Murphy© Photo Healy Racing
- Earlier start for day one of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown
- Raceday starts earlier to avoid football clash, while Japanese interest heightens with live coverage of Deirdre
Horse Racing Ireland today announced changes to race times for day one of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday, September 14.
The changes have been made to avoid a direct clash with the All-Ireland senior football final replay, and to also accommodate a significant Japanese television audience following the exploits of the first ever Japanese-trained runner in Ireland, the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes hopeful, Deirdre.
The race will be shown live on Green Channel, Japan’s dedicated horse racing channel, helping showcase Irish horse racing to a wider international audience.
Racing will begin on Saturday at 1.55pm with the Listed Ballylinch Stud EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
The QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes will move to an earlier slot on the race list, and will be off at 4.15pm.
The second Group 1 on the card, the Coolmore ‘Fastnet Rock’ Matron Stakes, moves to 5.25pm and will be the last of five live races on RTE.
“On a fantastic day of sporting action, we will cater for those who would like to see one of the best race meetings of the year and one of the highlights of the season, as well as the All-Ireland final replay. We will be bringing a big screen experience to the football replay and, as we have seen during the Dublin Racing Festival and the Six Nations, there is an incredible atmosphere watching big games on the big screens at Leopardstown,” said Leopardstown CEO, Pat Keogh.
“The news that Green Channel will show the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes live on their channel is fantastic news for the profile of the race and we’ve been inundated with media requests from Japan which underlines the interest there in their brilliant racemare, Deirdre.
“It’s an incredible day’s racing and is one for the whole family to enjoy — indeed it is worth repeating that accompanied children under-18 are free and there are plenty of free children’s activities.”
Revised schedule for day one of Longines Irish Champions Weekend
Leopardstown, Saturday, September 14
1.55pm The Ballylinch Stud EBF Ingabelle Stakes (Listed)
2.30pm The Irish Stallions Farms EBF ‘Petingo’ Premier Handicap
3.05pm The KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes (Group 2)
3.40pm The Paddy Power Betting Shop Stakes (Group 3)
4.15pm The QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1)
4.50pm The Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes (Group 2)
5.25pm The Coolmore ‘Fastnet Rock’ Matron Stakes (Group 1)
6.00pm The Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Sovereign Path’ Premier Handicap
