Inaugurated 1915 Sponsor Comer Group Distance 1m 6f (2,816 metres) | Race type Flat / Thoroughbred Website Curragh | |
Location Curragh Racecourse
Co. Kildare, Ireland | ||
The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
Contents
It is Ireland's equivalent of the St Leger Stakes, a famous race in England (although unlike the English race, it is open to both horses above age three and geldings).
History
The event was established in 1915, and it was originally restricted to three-year-olds. The first horse to win both the English and Irish St Legers was Royal Lancer in 1922.
The first Irish St. Leger winner to complete a Triple Crown (having previously won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Irish Derby) was Museum in 1935. The only subsequent horse to win all three races was Windsor Slipper in 1942.
The Irish St Leger became an open-age race in 1983, and there have been several repeat winners since then. The most successful has been Vinnie Roe, with four consecutive victories from 2001 to 2004.
The leading horses from the Irish St Leger sometimes go on to compete in the Melbourne Cup. The race has been sponsored by the Comer Group since 2014 and carries the name of their Palmerstown House Estate. It takes place on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend.
Records
Most successful horse (4 wins):
Leading jockey (7 wins):
Leading trainer (9 wins):
Leading owner since 1960 (4 wins):