Leopardstown race results

The Leading Sire Lope De Vega
Lope De Vega's Blonde Over Blue Takes Leopardstown Pointer

Thursday's opening fillies' maiden at Leopardstown has a notable recent winner's list and Blonde Over Blue (Lope De Vega) added her name to it in convincing style in the John Oxley silks. Sent off at 6-1 for the seven-furlong contest won in 2024 by Bedtime Story, in 2019 by Cayenne Pepper and in 2017 by September, the Joseph O'Brien-trained daughter of the Italian Group 3 winner American Bridge (Kodiac) received the perfect tow under cover throughout the early stages. Surging to the front inside the final furlong under Dylan Browne...

[ Read More ]
James J Braddock Wins The Derby Trial For Ozzie Kheir

Springing a minor surprise in Sunday's G3 Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, Aziz Kheir's James J Braddock (Zarak) swooped late to deny Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) for Joseph in the all-O'Brien affair. Sent off at 9-1 for the 10-furlong prep, the Ballysax fifth was waited with by Dylan Browne McMonagle and delivered in the nick of time to oust Ballydoyle's long-time ante-post Derby favourite in the shade of the post for a short-head verdict. Pierre Bonnard's pacemaking stablemate Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) stuck to his task to be a...

[ Read More ]
The Lion In Winter
Smooth Return For Lockinge Bound The Lion In Winter

Making his 2026 debut on Wednesday, Ballydoyle's The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars) enjoyed a long overdue confidence-boosting win in Leopardstown's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes. Allowed to stride forward from the break by Wayne Lordan, the 11-10 favourite took control two out and saw out the mile test strongly to prevail by half a length from stablemate Expanded (Wootton Bassett). "We're delighted with him and he was just ready to start," Aidan O'Brien said. "The plan was to come here and then go to the Lockinge....

[ Read More ]
Mixed Feelings
Sioux Nation's Mixed Feelings Another To Impress At Leopardstown

Leopardstown's Wednesday card may be one for referencing later in the season, with another wide-margin maiden winner in Mixed Feelings (Sioux Nation) emerging for the other O'Brien Jr. After Donnacha's Eretria had dominated the opening 10-furlong maiden, it was Joseph's turn in the mile maiden as the Acheson family's Mixed Feelings romped to a six-length success. Third on debut at Gowran on her sole start in September, the Irish 1,000 Guineas entry was in a class of her own as she drew away under Joey Sheridan from Bang Bang (Sands...

[ Read More ]
'He's A Smart Horse Who's Been Under The Radar': Christmas Day Earns O'Brien's Respect

All eyes were on the returning Pierre Bonnard in Sunday's G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, but it was another of Ballydoyle's sons of Camelot who stepped forward into the Derby picture in Christmas Day. While the former showed how short of a peak he was in a lethargic seventh, last year's G3 Eyrefield Stakes winner delivered under Wayne Lordan to cause an 11-1 upset at the chief expense of another stablemate in Endorsement (Wootton Bassett). Aidan O'Brien had warned before the established Derby trial that last year's Criterium de...

[ Read More ]
True Love Dispels Stamina Doubts In The Priory Belle

Defying a Group 1 penalty in Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love (No Nay Never) proved that seven furlongs holds no fears entering her Classic campaign. Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite for the established 1,000 Guineas trial, the imposing Coolmore homebred who had also taken the Queen Mary and the Railway at two raced towards the fore under Ryan Moore and came up the rail to dominate the closing stages. At the line, there was 1 1/4 lengths to spare...

[ Read More ]
St Mark's Basilica's Thesecretadversary To The Fore

Emerging on top in an eventful renewal of Leopardstown's G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes on Sunday, Cayton Park Stud and Susan Magnier's Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica) got the Fozzy Stack stable off to a flyer in 2026. "He had been working well this spring and the form was in the book," his trainer said. "We always thought he'd get a mile and although he was a bit keen there, I'm hoping it was just exuberance. He's in all the European Classics bar the Italian and I also entered him...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.