HORSERACING – THE 2025 running of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes will be held at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland today and it promises to be a fascinating race, having attracted a strong, international field of established Group One performers.
Heading the field as the horse to beat is three-year-old colt Delacroix, trained by Aidan O’Brien, the race’s most successful trainer with 12 wins to his name. Delacroix is the winner of this year’s Group One Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park and has proven course form having twice been successful at Leopardstown earlier in the season.
Delacroix faces strong opposition in the form of seasoned, quality campaigners from Japan, the UK, and Ireland.
Representing Japan for the second year running is Shin Emperor, who bids to improve on his excellent third in 2024 when beaten just a length by winner Economics. Since then, Shin Emperor has won in Riyadh, taking the valuable Neom Cup at the Saudi Cup meeting, with the Bahrain trained-star Calif in second.
In the care of one of Japan’s leading trainers Yoshito Yohagi, Shin Emperor must overcome a long absence from the track, having not run since April. But if fully fit, he could give Japan a famous win in the Bahrain-sponsored race. To keep himself fit and focussed, Shin Emperor’s jockey Ryusei Sakai has been warming up for the race by taking rides in Ireland earlier this week.
Two other older horses add real spice to the event, bringing top-class European form to the table. Anmaat, trained in England by Owen Burrows, won the Group One Champion Stakes at Ascot last year and has twice put in excellent efforts this season when finishing runner-up in Group One races. And the striking grey White Birch, trained in Ireland by John Joseph Murphy, comfortably beat last year’s narrowly beaten second Auguste Rodin in May 2024, although he has been lightly raced and not won since.
Meanwhile, taking the step up into Group One company for the first time is Zahraan, trained by Johnny Murtagh and carrying the famous green and red silks of the late Aga Khan. The fast improving three-year-old was an impressive winner of a Group Three race last month at the Curragh.
The 2024 edition of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes was judged one of the top 10 races in the world, and through its sponsorship of the Irish Champion Stakes and its relationship with Horseracing Ireland and Leopardstown, Bahrain has developed a strong association with one of the highlights of the global racing calendar.
The 2025 Royal Bahrain Irish Champions Stakes is due off at 7.30pm, Bahrain time, this evening.
&uuid=(email))