THE 10 GROUP RACES HAVE A TOTAL PRIZE FUND OF €4.6M

Daylami (1999), Fantastic Light (2001) and High Chaparral (2003) are also Breeders’ Cup champions having won both races in the same season.

All winners of the Irish Champions Stakes receive complimentary entry to the Breeders’ Cup, the 2017 edition of which takes place at Del Mar Racecourse in California.

Last year’s race saw eight Group 1 winners battle it out

IRISH ST LEGER

On Sunday the action moves to the Curragh, where the feature race is the Comer Group International Irish St Leger.

Opened up to allow older horses to compete in 1983, this race has been won by some greats such as Melbourne Cup winner Vintage Crop, who won the Irish St Leger on the way to the first part of a historic double in Australia in 1993 and 1994.

The brilliant Vinnie Roe won the St Leger on four consecutive occasions between 2001 and 2004, while the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats triumphed in 2007.

More recently, there have been equally impressive winners, with Brown Panther recording a six-and-a-half length win for Tom Dascombe in 2014, while Order Of St George raced clear in the straight to win the 2015 renewal by 11 lengths.

Winner of this race in 2016 for Willie Mullins, Wicklow Brave is among the 2017 early entries, as is Jessica Harrington’s unbeaten Torcedor, Twilight Payment for Jim Bolger and the John Oxxtrained Naughty Or Nice.