The Irish Champions Festival

The Irish Champions Festival is the high point of the Irish Flat season. It is one festival split across two racecourses on consecutive days: Leopardstown in south Dublin on the Saturday and the Curragh in Co. Kildare on the Sunday. Between them they stage a cluster of Group 1 races, the top level of Flat racing.

If you like to see the very best Flat horses in training, this is the weekend to pick.

When is it?

The festival is held on a weekend in mid September. Both racecourses have published their 2027 fixtures: Saturday 11 September 2027 at Leopardstown and Sunday 12 September 2027 at the Curragh. In 2026 the festival was held on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September.

Day 1: Leopardstown

The Saturday card at Leopardstown is built around the Irish Champion Stakes, a Group 1 race over about a mile and a quarter for horses aged three and older. It was first run in 1976 and has been at Leopardstown under its present name since 1991. The winner receives an automatic invitation to the Breeders' Cup Turf in the United States. Past winners include Sea The Stars, Golden Horn, Magical and Auguste Rodin, so the roll of honour reads like a list of the best Flat horses of recent decades.

The Leopardstown card also features further Group 1 races, the Matron Stakes and the Golden Fleece Stakes, alongside Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races and big handicaps.

Getting to Leopardstown. The racecourse is about six miles south of Dublin city centre. The Luas Green line runs from the city centre to Sandyford in about 20 minutes, and a free shuttle bus runs from the Sandyford Luas stop on every race day. For major festivals the racecourse adds shuttle services from Blackrock DART station and Heuston station. Parking is free; drivers are advised to use exit 15 off the M50 and Car Park G to avoid queues on the Leopardstown Road. From Dublin Airport, Aircoach route 700 runs to Leopardstown (get off at the last stop), and the trip takes about an hour. More on the course in our Leopardstown racecourse guide.

Day 2: The Curragh

On the Sunday the action moves to the Curragh, the headquarters of Irish Flat racing. The feature is the Irish St Leger, a Group 1 over about a mile and three quarters and the fifth and final Irish Classic of the year. It was first run in 1915 and has been open to older horses as well as three-year-olds since 1983.

The Curragh card carries four Group 1 races in all. Alongside the St Leger there are the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and the Flying Five.

Off the track, the Curragh day has a strong family focus. Under 18s go free, and in 2026 there was a kids' zone, a racecourse train, live music, a style competition and a Parade of Champions featuring retired racehorses in their second careers. If you are interested in what happens to racehorses after racing, see our guide to buying a retired racehorse and the horses listed on our marketplace.

Getting to the Curragh. Mainline trains serve Kildare and Newbridge stations, and a free return bus runs from the station to the racecourse, timed to meet the main train arrivals and departures. Note that the buses do not run continuously all day, and the Newbridge service only operates on certain days, so check the timetable on the Curragh website in the days before. By car, leave the M50 at exit 9 onto the N7 southbound, then take exit 12 off the M7. Parking is free. More on the course in our Curragh racecourse guide.

Where to stay

For the Saturday, south Dublin is the obvious base, with good Luas and bus links to Leopardstown. Leopardstown's own site recommends booking hotels well in advance because local hotels regularly sell out on big race days. For the Sunday, Kildare town and Newbridge are the closest places to stay with rail stations, since the free racecourse buses connect with trains there. Many visitors simply stay in Dublin for both nights and take the train to Kildare on Sunday.

Tickets and tips

• Buy separately. Each day is ticketed by its own racecourse, so buy Saturday through Leopardstown and Sunday through the Curragh.
• Book early. 2027 tickets go on sale in advance, and both courses offer newsletters to hear when they are released.
• Allow time between courses. If you are doing both days, plan the Sunday journey to Kildare the night before.
• Dress. There is no strict dress code. Smart casual works, and the Curragh runs a style competition on the Sunday if you want to dress up.
• Betting. The Tote and on-course bookmakers operate at both tracks. Betting is optional and many racegoers do not bet at all. If you do, decide a limit in advance, and remember free, confidential help is available from Gambling Care on 1800 936 725 (gamblingcare.ie).

New to racing? Start with our first day at the races guide. The festival sits between the Galway Races and the Listowel Harvest Festival in the Irish racing calendar.