Comer Group International Irish St Leger
Grade 1, Curragh 16:25
€500,000 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
1m 6f, Class 1  
Sunday 14th September 2025

1 Al Riffa 3/1
2 Amiloc 2/1
3 Al Qareem 12/1
9 ran Distances: 4l, 4¼l, 2¾l
Time: 2m 59.87s (fast by 0.13s)

The Melbourne Cup-bound Al Riffa underlined his class with a commanding display, confirming himself as a genuine heavyweight for Flemington later this year.

Winner of the National Stakes on this day three years ago, Joseph O’Brien’s star had doubled his Group One haul in Germany last summer and signalled his intent for 2024 when stretching out to score in July’s Curragh Cup over the same course and distance. That performance lured Australian Bloodstock Two into the ownership ahead of a tilt at the first Tuesday in November – and after this, their confidence will only have grown.

Settled quietly by Dylan Browne McMonagle, Al Riffa watched as Karl Burke’s front-running Al Qareem took the field along at a searching gallop. Ralph Beckett’s unbeaten British challenger Amiloc loomed into the slipstream looking the likeliest threat, but when McMonagle pressed the button, Al Riffa swept by with a surge of acceleration that settled the matter in a few strides, powering four lengths clear inside the final furlong.

The decisive win saw Coral cut him to 8-1 (from 12-1) for the Melbourne Cup. O’Brien was quick to pay tribute to both horse and rider:

“We knew the guys that were guaranteed stayers were going to try to expose the stamina of those that weren’t, and the pace was really strong.

“Dylan was cool on the horse and confident. He’s been a great horse for us, he always turns up and runs his race and I’m delighted for the ownership group.

“It was a gruelling race, but we’ll freshen him up and hopefully get him to the Melbourne Cup.

“He’s two for two now since he’s gone up in trip and he has the right attributes. He settles well, he has a turn of foot, and he stays. Hopefully we have a smooth preparation.”

Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett was equally enthused:

“He was perfectly prepared by Joseph and his team, and we’re delighted to be a part of it.

“He wasn’t a hard horse to identify when he went out to 2800 metres last time. That convinced us that he might be the horse to try to win the Melbourne Cup.

“He’ll need to carry weight because they won’t miss him, but I feel sure he’s the right horse to do that.

“Joseph knows how to win the race, and we have four Melbourne Cups between us.”

Runner-up Amiloc lost nothing in defeat and will head stateside for a big target of his own, as Beckett confirmed:

“He did take a long time to get over the King Edward VII Stakes and the only concern I had coming today was whether he’d done enough at home, but he clearly had.

“I think he’ll probably go to the Breeders’ Cup Turf – I think it will really suit him.

“With that pedigree and the make-up of a horse that he is, he should get better.”

Comer Group International Irish St. Leger
€500,000 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 1m 6f
9 ran
Going: Yielding

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (5)    Al Riffa 5 9-10 Joseph O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle 3/1
2 (3) 4 Amiloc 3 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 2/1
3 (2) 4¼ Al Qareem 6 9-10 K R Burke Clifford Lee 12/1
4 (9) 2¾ Waldadler 6 9-10 P Vovcenko David Liska 100/1
5 (1) 10 Crystal Black 7 9-10 Gerard Keane Colin Keane 12/1
6 (4) ¾ Queenstown 5 9-10 A P O'Brien Ronan Whelan 50/1
7 (7) 3 Illinois 4 9-10 A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon 15/8F
8 (6) 4 Dallas Star 4 9-10 Adrian Murray David Egan 125/1
9 (8) 23 Leinster 4 9-10 Joseph O'Brien W J Lee 22/1