Jockey Ryan Moore labelled Kyprios “a very special stayer” after Aidan O’Brien’s star landed Sunday’s Comer Group Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
The 8-11 favourite lived up to his billing as the star turn at the Curragh’s leg of Longines Irish Champions Weekend with a gutsy three-quarter length defeat of the English raider Hamish. It completed a big-race weekend double for the Ballydoyle team after Luxembourg’s success in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The double was a boost for the Coolmore Stud supremo John Magnier, whose mother, Evie Stockwell, died on Saturday, aged 97.
Coolmore’s commercial imperatives meant Luxembourg establishing himself as a top-notch stallion prospect was critical, although Kyprios appears to lose nothing to him in terms of stable popularity.
“He’s such a talented horse and pleasure to ride. He can be a little bit lazy but every time you ask him he gives a little bit more,” said Moore. “He’s a very special stayer and a pleasure to ride.”
Sunday’s win underlined the versatility of a colt who is unbeaten in five starts this season, including in both the Ascot and Goodwood Cups. Kyprios also added to his family’s Leger pedigree as his sister Search For A Song won in both 2019 and 2020 and on Sunday filled the frame in third behind her young brother.
“He’s a great horse to have. He’s obviously a horse that gets a trip but he has a lot of class. He’s very relaxed which is a massive help and helps him get the trip. He’s very brave, very clear winded, a good mover and a great mind. It’s just a pleasure to have him,” O’Brien said.
“He was probably extra lazy today and maybe it was the soft ground that made him a little bit more laboured. He could go back to a mile-and-a-half but obviously we would love to have him around for the Gold Cup for the coming years because he is a unique horse.”
Saturday’s Leopardstown action took place in ideal weather conditions but much more autumnal conditions were at the Curragh where there were outstanding winners of all four Group 1 races up for grabs.
Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa justified his €40,000 supplementary fee into the Goffs National Stakes when giving last year’s champion apprentice Dylan Browne McMonagle a first Group 1 success. The English favourite Highfield Princess dominated the Al Basti Flying Five as a 5-4 favourite. But perhaps the most visually impressive top-flight winner of all was Tahiyra who flashed home in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, catapulting herself to the top of the betting for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
An official attendance of just 6,724 at the Curragh meant the Champions Weekend total reached just over 17,000 during the two days. The equivalent figure in 2019 was 23,508. The wider economic climate was pinpointed by officials at Leopardstown as contributing to an official attendance of 10,280, down from 13,433 three years ago.
However, Leopardstown’s chief executive expressed satisfaction with the numbers. “I’m actually delighted with it. I feel it is a decent result given where we are as a nation with the cost-of-living crisis and the uncertainty. I think to try and compare 2019 figures with 2022 figures is not really comparing apples and apples. Anything above 10,000 in what I would call a year of recovery means I’m quite satisfied. It is a platform for us to grow on next year,” Tim Husbands said on Sunday.
The Curragh boss Brian Kavanagh, who is on the Champions Weekend Committee, pointed to the weather conditions as a complicating factor for Sunday’s action. “Given what we’re dealing with on the day, when you wake up to a yellow weather warning and it rains until about three, I’m happy with that,” he said. “It was a day to get through and get the racing done. With everything else going on as well, it puts things in perspective.”
Irish raiders were out of luck in Sunday’s rescheduled St Leger at Doncaster where David Egan rode Eldar Eldarov to a half-length defeat of the 11-8 favourite New London. Both French Claim and Emily Dickinson failed to make the frame, while Aidan O’Brien’s Oaks winner, Tuesday, finished fourth to Sweet Lady in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.
