KPMG celebrates 12 years of supporting the Irish Champions Festival. Once again it promises to be an exciting festival of world-class flat racing right here in Ireland. Some of the world’s top-rated horses will go head-to-head this year in the €1,250,000 feature race, the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.
2023 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes Winner
The 2023 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown was won by Diego Velazquez, a promising two-year-old only four weeks after making his debut, trained by Aidan O’Brien, and ridden to victory by Ryan Moore.
Diego Velazquez tracked the leader for most of the race and made his move in the final 150 yards, narrowly edging out his stablemate Capulet, who was ridden by Seamie Heffernan.
Winner of the 2022 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes
Auguste Rodin was the impressive winner of the 2022 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Augeste Rodin proved too strong for his rivals as Jockey, Ryan Moore tracked the leaders in the mile contest before asking his mount to take closer order passing the two-pole.
He gained a narrow lead passing the furlong marker and kept on well, despite drifting to his right in the closing stages, to post a length-and-a-half success over Caroline Street
2021 KPMG race
2021 renewal of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Group 2 contest was won by Atomic Jones, trained by Ger Lyons. Atomic Jones came with a storming run down the outside to lift the Group 2 contest and complete a quick double for trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane at Leopardstown. Another star to emerge from the race was Stone Age.
Following on from the race, the Galileo colt went on to win the Derby Trials at Leopardstown, he ran a competitive race in the Cazoo Derby and place 3rd in the Belmont Stakes in the USA. Due to the status of the race, the winner is eligible for a place in the Breeders Cup, due to the WIN & YOU’RE IN status.
