2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tips

We managed to nick a few places at Doncaster and Leopardstown on Saturday. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a winner and our NAP East Hampton ran a stinker but overall it wasn’t an awful day. I'm hoping to get a winner on the board on Sunday, 2025 Champions Weekend Curragh tips are below.

1.30 – Bold Lad Sprint Handicap (Premier)

We are already on Tango Flare at 25s for this race and he’s been on the drift. Given that he has been drawn low in stall 7, I am going to back another one from a higher draw just in case there is a track bias.

The horse that fits the bill from stall 17 is John James Feane’s mare, Greek Flower. Yes, she is 7lb wrong but the up-and-coming claimer Nicola Burns will offset most of that with her claim (possible 2lb overweight).

This daughter of Australia hasn’t won since landing a C&D handicap off 70 in October 2023 but she has run some crackers in defeat, including when forcing a dead heat for fifth in the Scurry here back in July. She has shaped well enough in both starts since in lesser races and I’d imagine the big pot on offer here might bring about an even better run.

She was only beaten 2.5l when denied a clear run in this race last year off 87 so she is more than capable off her mark of 83, even if she is out of the handicap. Fingers crossed Nicola Burns can chart a clear passage, if she does Greek Flower can go close at odds of 16/1.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: Greek Flower e/w @ 16/1 (6 places) NAP; Tango Flare already advised e/w @ 25/1 (4 places 1/4 odds)

2.05 – Tattersalls Super Auction Sales Stakes (2yo)

I always end up getting tempted by one at big odds in these sales races and they always run crap races. Not this time. No bet.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: No Bet

2.40 – Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1)

Just seven runners and no extra places on offer. The bookies essentially make this a match, with Composing chalked up at 6/4 and the unbeaten Venetian Sun at 15/8. Given Karl Burke’s form on Saturday, I’d marginally side with his horse but I have no interest in betting on him at the prices. I’m happy to just watch and enjoy this race. No bet.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: No bet

3.15 – Flying Five Stakes (Group 1)

We have a pretty good record in this race when it comes to getting places (Makarova 28s last year, Get Ahead 66s in 2023), hopefully we can find the winner in this year’s renewal.

The one that looks most overpriced, especially with rain forecast before racing tomorrow, is the 7yo mare Vadream. How can I tip up a sprinter that has been beaten a cumulative distance of over 50L on her last three starts I hear you ask? Well, she has had valid excuses for those runs (upset in stalls Haydock, ground Ascot, track Goodwood) and her run at Newmarket in May when just over 2l behind Frost At Dawn suggests that she still retains ability.

She ran poorly in this last year, but the ground was good. This time there should be a nice bit of an ease and she comes into the race a fresher horse than she was last year. If she can reproduce the form she showed when a 1.75l fourth in the Sprint Cup at Haydock a year ago she is capable of running on late into a place here, so a small e/w interest on Vadream is advised at odds of 66/1.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: Vadream e/w @ 66/1 (4 places)

3.50 – National Stakes (Group 1)

Another small field. I’d love to see Zavateri win this for Eve Johnson Houghton but odds of 11/2 aren’t big enough and you’d have to be concerned about the easy ground. No bet.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: No Bet

4.25 – Irish St Leger (Group 1)

A field of nine are due to go to post for this 1m6f G1 and Al Riffa, Illinois and Amiloc are at the head of the market. Easy ground and the trip are an unknown for the latter horse so one of the bigger priced ones might be able to sneak into the money. The one that makes most appeal is the winner of the trial for this race, Leinster.

Al Riffa’s stablemate has been deserted by McMonagle but he’s had an excellent season and he took his form to a new level here last time when beating Dallas Star by over four lengths. His three previous runs this term came in handicaps, including a 1m4f win here on soft, a solid fourth in the Chester Cup and another fine fourth in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal Meeting.

Obviously, this represents a big step up in class but he has won his last two visits to this venue, he acts on soft ground and given that this is just his eighth start, there could still be more improvement to come from the son of Camelot. Billy Lee is 2/11 with three top 3s when riding for this owner, hopefully he can nick another place at least here at odds of 22/1.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: Leinster e/w @ 22/1

5.00 – Blandford Stakes (Group 2)

Now that she is back on an easier surface, perhaps Higher Leaves can hit the frame at a price in this 1m2f Group 2. Trained by Henry De Bromhead, this daughter of Golden Horn found G1 company too hot on her first two starts of 2025.

She ran a better race last time out when fifth in a C&D G3 on good to yielding behind One Look and, once the forecast rain comes, she may be able to close the gap to that rival on a softer surface.

Her last start on properly soft ground saw her bolt up in a Group 3 at Toulouse last November and she hit top form at this time last year. She sports a hood for the first time, which will hopefully help her to settle better and if the new equipment works, Higher Leaves can make a bold bid from the front at odds of 20/1.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: Higher Leaves e/w @ 20/1

5.35 – Northfields Handicap (Premier)

Crown Of Oaks has been backed off the boards for this and he looked like a horse going places when hacking up at Ascot last time out (1m2f, soft). He’s only 8lb higher here and if he avoids traffic problems in this huge field, he is likely going to be very hard to beat.

One horse that is capable of a big run off his current mark of 94 is Ado McGuinness’ 7yo Star Harbour. His last handicap win came at this venue over 1m4f in June 2024 off 96 on good ground but he is effective on easier ground too.

Star Harbour has had an up and down 2025. He ran a cracker at Dundalk in August but he wasn’t quite as good at Naas last time, though he wasn’t beaten that far in fourth after suffering interference.

His best effort of this campaign came over C&D in May when he was beaten 0.5l off 97, if he can repeat that off 3lb lower he may be able to land the place money for us at odds of 33/1.

2025 Champions Weekend Curragh Tip: Star Harbour e/w @ 33/1 (6 places) NB

-DaveStevos

2025 Irish Champions Weekend E/w Lucky 15

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best weekends of the Flat season. Not only do we have Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh, we also have the St Leger Festival at Doncaster. Dave Stevos has been studying the form and he has come up with four horses at big odds for a 2025 Irish Champions Weekend & Doncaster Leger meeting e/w lucky 15 (and four e/w singles), find out who he fancies below.

1.50 Doncaster Friday – Flying Scotsman Stakes (Listed)

Hopefully, Sunset On Leros can get us off to a flier in the Flying Scotsman. Trained by Marco Botti, this son of Almanzor didn’t show a huge amount when a pretty well beaten fourth of five on debut at Newmarket in June. However, he left that run well behind on his second start in a class 2 novice over this C&D a month later.

Drawn in stall 1, Sunset On Leros bounced out, travelled strongly close to the pace and when Benoit De La Sayette asked him to go and win his race around 1.5f out, he quickened up in the manner of a smart horse and surged clear to win by almost three lengths.

Back in second was a horse called Allegresse and he went on to win a novice at Kempton by 9.5l on his next start so there is some substance to the form. This is obviously a step up in class but I think 20/1 looks a shade generous given the manner of his win here last time out. At those odds, Sunset On Leros is the each way selection. Hopefully he enhances Marco Botti’s fine frame hitting strike rate with 2yos at this venue (12/72 with 30 top 4s).

2025 Irish Champions Weekend Tip: Sunset On Leros e/w @ 20/1

1.50 Doncaster Saturday – Champagne Stakes (Group 2)

Usually, I leave small field races well alone but I am making an exception here. There was plenty of bullish chatter about St Mark’s Basilica’s first crop of foals before the season began and while he made a pretty slow start, in the last couple of months he has had some nice winners, none more so than Cape Ashizuri who ran out a 2l winner on his debut at Ayr (6f, gd-sft) in July.

That was a six-runner race and four of the five horses that finished behind have won since. The only horse that has failed to win from that contest is now rated 84 so it looks solid form. Cape Ashizuri got badly outpaced before picking up late and running on strongly in that contest and it was a very encouraging debut effort.

This colt is out of Muravka, a High Chaparral mare that has already produced the Japanese G3 and G1 placed Unicorn Lion, the Coventry and Prix Morny winner The Wow Signal and the French Listed winner Miss Infinity. He is bred to be a stakes horse and on the evidence of that debut win, he looks like he is. On breeding and run style the step up to 7f should really suit and he won’t mind a bit of an ease in the ground. At odds of 14/1, back Cape Ashizuri e/w.

2025 Irish Champions Weekend Tip: Cape Ashizuri e/w @ 14/1

3.50 Leopardstown Saturday – CMG Group Stakes (Group 3)

If Al Aasy runs to his rating of 115, he is clearly going to be hard to beat here. However, he’s an 8yo now and he’s had an up and down season so far, so he is not guaranteed to repeat the level of form he showed when landing a Goodwood G3 in fine style early last month.

3yos have an okay record in this race and I think It’s A Heartbeat may be capable of outrunning her odds of 50/1 for John O’Donoghue and Nathan Crosse. This filly first came to my attention when I did the spotlights for her 1m4f Curragh maiden win (good) in June. Thankfully, I tipped her to win and despite being weak in the market, she did exactly that.

After a short break, she was sent off at 11/1 for her handicap debut at the same venue (good) three weeks ago and she made a mockery of her mark of 89 to hose up by over 3l. She showed she handled an ease when a shade unlucky in running on debut at Naas (1m2f, yielding) so if the track doesn’t dry out, the ground shouldn’t be a big issue.

I think if this unexposed filly were trained in a more fashionable yard, she would probably be half her current price of 50/1 so at the odds, she is worth chancing e/w.

2025 Irish Champions Weekend Tip: It’s A Heartbeat e/w @ 50/1

1.30 Curragh Sunday – Bold Lad Sprint Handicap (Premier)

I tipped up Tango Flare for a couple of races this season to no avail. He probably should have gone close to winning in a premier handicap here in May off a mark of 97 and since then, I reckon all roads have led to this race.

Three of his last four starts have come in either listed or rated races and at Fairyhouse in June in a 6f rated race, he finished just 2.5l behind the now 104 rated King Cuan off level weights. 7f was never likely to suit in a listed race at Cork last time and I’d imagine that run was designed to keep him ticking over for another crack at this huge pot.

In last year’s renewal Pat Foley’s son of Fulbright ran a blinder to finish a 1.5l third behind My Mate Alfie off a mark of 99. He is 8lb lower now and if the 6yo gets back to the form he showed in this last season, he has to have a right chance off his current mark. At odds of 25/1, Tango Flare is the each way pick.

2025 Irish Champions Weekend Tip: Tango Flare e/w @ 25/1

-DaveStevos