Leopardstown Racecourse

Coolmore and Westerberg's Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) attempted to make all and hit the board behind James J Braddock (Zarak) and Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) in last month's G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown and boosted the hopes of those G1 Derby candidates with a seven-length romp in Thursday's Listed King George V Cup back at the Foxrock venue. "His form is solid, it was nice to see him running well and Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him," commented Aidan O'Brien. "We didn't know how far he'd stay because a mile-and-a-quarter is...

Coolmore's Scandinavia (Justify) has undertaken Ballydoyle's tried-and-trusted route towards next month's G1 Gold Cup and last term's G1 St Leger and G1 Goodwood Cup hero backed up his win in last month's Listed Vintage Crop Stakes on seasonal return with a workmanlike performance in Friday's G3 Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. "This was the perfect race to bridge the gap [to Royal Ascot] and we'll get more serious as we go along," said Aidan O'Brien. "He's a big, relaxed horse and we couldn't be happier really. Ryan [Moore] was...

Craig Bernick's $220,000 Keeneland November graduate Nola Soul (Justify) is quite some way from being the finished article, but overcame greenness to secure an ultimately impressive debut success and a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, rosette in Friday evening's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Leopardstown. The seven-furlong heat's recent winners include Italy (Wootton Bassett), Scorthy Champ (Mehmas), Deepone (Study Of Man) and Alfred Munnings (Dubawi), and he becomes the 13th Rising Star for his sire. "He was just about ready to start there today, he's a nice horse...

Skara Glen Stables' Eretria (Camelot), a 420,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate, backed up an April Fools' Day debut second at Dundalk with an impressive success in Wednesday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown. "She's a smart filly and I thought the last furlong was very impressive," said Donnacha O'Brien. "She's a lovely filly going forward and I'll give her a little bit of time now. She's only two weeks back from her first run and something like the Naas Oaks Trial could fit in nicely now. She's...

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is embarking on a pre-market consultation (PMC), aimed at engaging international developers, investors and operators, in order to explore the next phase in the evolution of the Leopardstown Campus. This PMC follows a series of stakeholder briefings held in January, bringing together representatives from across the racing industry, local community, business and public sectors to share information, gather insight and begin an open dialogue on the future evolution of the Leopardstown Campus. According to HRI, the engagement phase of the Leopardstown Campus Masterplan revealed a "growing...

Mark Clayton has been named the new CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) announced on Thursday. Clayton will take up his role in early January and will report to HRI Racecourses CEO Paul Dermody. Previously, he spent 12 years at Southwell Racecourse and held prior leadership roles at Doncaster and Huntingdon Racecourses. Dermody said, "I am delighted to welcome Mark to the role of CEO at Leopardstown Racecourse. Mark brings a wealth of commercial experience and expertise to the role, combined with a thorough knowledge of the racing...

Christophe Soumillon was forced into switching mounts, taking up piloting duties aboard Killarney maiden winner Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) after TDN Rising Star Montreal (Sea The Stars) was scratched, in Saturday's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes--formerly known as the Golden Fleece Stakes--and the rider continued on a winning roll as the son of Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega) stepped forward to claim a career high in the one-mile contest. His tally earned him a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar at the beginning of November. "He's a...

Coolmore and Westerberg's €1.7-million Arqana August sale topper Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) backed up a TDN Rising Star performance at the Curragh last month with a first black-type triumph in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown. "I was quite confident when I saw the attitude she had going down to the start and she was really professional," said winning jockey Christophe Soumillon. "She was a little impatient in the stalls and didn't jump out properly. I had to change plans because she was quite far...

Tom Marquand has been confirmed as the partner of Goodwood Cup hero and ante-post favourite Scandinavia (Justify), who is set to head a field of seven in Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger. With Ryan Moore on the sidelines and Wayne Lordan suspended, Sean Levey will partner dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona picks up the ride aboard Great Voltigeur fourth Stay True (Galileo). In addition to the Ballydoyle trio, Ireland is represented by Queen's Vase victor and Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett), who will be partnered by...

Marc Chan's homebred G2 Golden Fleece Stakes winner Green Impact (Wootton Bassett), who defeated G1 Derby favourite Delacroix twice last year, went postward for Thursday evening's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown returning off a G1 2000 Guineas sixth and bounced back in style to claim a second black-type success in the nine-furlong contest. The 11-8 favourite asserted for an early advantage and set an even tempo through halfway. Holding sway throughout, he was driven to subdue TDN Rising Star Azada (Siyouni) approaching the final furlong and...

Just minutes after stablemate Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett) secured G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains glory in France, Aidan O'Brien nominee and TDN Rising Star Delacroix (Dubawi) laid his Classic credentials on the line in Leopardstown's G3 Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes and passed with flying colours, registering a 2 3/4-length triumph in the 10-furlong test. Last seen annexing March's G3 Ballysax Stakes over the Foxrock venue's same mile-and-a-quarter strip, the 1-3 favourite accepted a tow from stablemate Rock Of Cashel (Wootton Bassett) and raced second after breaking on the...

Vicki Donlon has been appointed interim CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) announced on Thursday. Donlon rejoins the team at Leopardstown with immediate effect as the process continues to find a permanent replacement for Tim Husbands, who steps down this week after five years in the role. Having joined HRI when appointed commercial & marketing manager at Leopardstown in 2015, Donlon has led the commercial brief for HRI's Racecourse Division for the last four years, working with Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan and Tipperary. Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses,...