Click on the links to find more details on the three elite races that make up the Irish Triple Crown:
The Triple Crown series in Ireland was developed around its English counterpart. All three of the events are run at The Curragh Racecourse, which is Ireland?s most popular race track. Open to three-year-old thoroughbreds, the Triple Crown is the most prestigious of racing achievements and a very rare feat in Ireland. The flat races which the Triple Crown consists of are three of the five Irish Classics held at The Curraugh.
The first race in the coveted Ireland Triple Crown is the Irish 2000 Guineas. Run over 1 mile in May the event is worth ?400 000.
The Irish Derby is the second leg in the Triple Crown and is raced over 1 mile and 4 furlongs in late June or early July. The race is worth a very lucrative ?1.5 million.
The third and final jewel in the Irish Triple Crown is the Irish St. Leger run over 1 mile 6 furlongs and is worth ?275 000.
In Ireland Triple Crown history, which dates back to 1921 when the Irish 2000 Guineas was inaugurated, there have only been two horses that have won all three races in the same season.
Museum was the first horse to win the Irish Triple Crown in 1935 followed by Windsor Slipper in 1942. Desert King came very close in 1997 winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown with ease. His trainer and owner believed he was a quality sprinter but displayed inadequate stamina to run in the lengthy St. Leger. Strange enough, Desert King was the sire to the magnificent mare, impressive stayer and three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.
