The Irish St. Leger is the last event to make up the prestigious Irish Triple Crown. Run over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs at the Curragh Racecourse in September each year, this Group 1 flat race conducted on a right-handed turf track is worth ?275 000. Open to thoroughbred horses aged three-years and older, it is the only Triple Crown race to allow entries older than three to compete since the ruling was introduced in 1983.

The inaugural race in 1915 was won by the James Dunne-trained La Paloma, when the event was restricted to three-year-old entries only. It is the youngest of the Irish Classics and is based around the St. Leger Stakes in England, with many of the same horses contending both events. The English St. Leger is therefore considered a good prep race for the Irish version, with many eager punters keen to see how horses perform in the British event before making their selections. The first horse to win this St. Leger double was Royal Lancer in 1922.

A number of horses have claimed multiple victories in this final Irish Classics race, the most successful of which is Vinnie Roe who secured four consecutive victories from 2001 ? 2004. Other runners to win more than one Irish St. Leger include Kayf Tara (1998 & 1999), Oscar Schindler (1996 & 1997) and Vintage Crop (1993 & 1994). Because of this multiple wins record, many punters choose to back the previous year?s winner, if that win was their first in the Irish St. Leger.

The Irish St. Leger is one of the most highly bet on races in Ireland. It is so popular with the punters as it is held at the end of the season and racing enthusiasts have had plenty of chances to gauge the form of the runners in the previous Classics in England and Ireland. Also, other key racing festivals including the Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood meetings provide other opportunities to see the Irish St. Leger entries in action before betting. The best tip when betting on the race is to back champion stayers who have secured at least one Group 1 victory in a race greater than a mile and a half.

Many runners will continue their campaigns with a run in the prestigious Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in Australia, as the long distance of this November event is well suited to the horses who handle the testing length of the Irish St. Leger. Horses who win both of these distance races are awarded an AU$500 000 bonus.

Irish St. Leger ? Recent Race Results: