Three Group I races run overnight in Ireland and the UK including the time honoured St Leger, which delivered a 101st Group I winner for legendary sire Galileo in undefeated colt Jan Brueghel, while boom Night of Thunder colt Economics also claimed his first G1 win.
The Group I St Leger (1m 6 ½ f) delivered a quinella for Galileo with the Aidan O’Brien trained stablemates Jan Brughel and Illinois fighting out the finish with Sean Levey driving the former to a neck win, his fourth from just four starts.
A homebred for the Coolmore partners, Jan Brueghel is a full brother to Group I Irish Derby winner Sovereign and is the second stakes-winner among eight winners from Group II placed Danehill Dancer mare Devoted to You.
The Group I Irish Champion Stakes (1m2f) produced a great battle with classy three year-old Economics beating last year’s Epsom Derby winner Auguste Rodin by a neck in a thriller with Japanese entry Shin Emperor a close third.
Trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, Economics is unbeaten this year and was controversially withdrawn from the Epsom Derby after a brilliant win in the Group II Dante Stakes in May in favour of a break and a crack at the autumn.
He launched himself on to the big stage here with his first G1 victory outpointing Auguste Rodin in a hectic finish to take his overall record to four wins from five starts.
Economics was bought for 160,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale by Highclere Agency and runs for Sheikh Isa Salman al Khalifa.
The fourth Group I winner for Night of Thunder, Economics is the first stakes-winner among three winners from Group II winning Peintre Celebre mare La Pomme D’Amour.
The Group I Matron Stakes (1m) at Leopardstown was won by the favourite Porta Fortuna, who beat another top class three year-old filly Fallen Angel by a length.
Trained by Donnacha O’Brien and ridden by Tom Marquand, the daughter of Caravaggio was a G1 winner last season at two and has been dominant at a mile this year finishing second in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas before Group I wins in the Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes, Newmarket Falmouth Stakes and now her third G1 in a row.
Bred by the O’Brien family and raced by Medallion Racing and partners, Porta Fortuna is the first winner for Too Precious, a four time winning full sister to multiple Group winning stayer Numerian (IRE), who is trained in Australia by Annabel Neasham.
