Star stayer Kyprios regains Irish St Leger crown

Aidan O'Brien was not ruling out a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Kyprios after the popular stayer took back his crown in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

The son of Galileo carried all before him in 2022, winning the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, but suffered a life-threatening injury the following spring and was beaten on his Irish Leger comeback and again on Champions Day at Ascot, albeit performing with credit given the circumstances.

The six-year-old has returned to his very best this season, however, regaining the Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup, and it was no surprise he was the 2-5 favourite market leader to do the same in the final Classic of the year on home soil.

After tracking his pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates for much of the one-mile-six-furlong contest, Kyprios was bustled into the lead at the top of the home straight as Ryan Moore looked to draw the finish out of Marco Botti’s Yorkshire Cup and Princess of Wales’s Stakes hero Giavellotto.

The latter was travelling ominously well in the hands of Oisin Murphy but was unable to reel in the hot favourite, who galloped on remorselessly to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.

The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban came from the rear of the field to throw down his challenge and split Kyprios and Giavellotto in second.

Kyprios (2-5F), the king of the staying division, lands a second Comer Group International Irish St Leger at the Curragh for Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien. pic.twitter.com/hf8YjjyJhN

"He’s so special and we can see what he did there today," O’Brien said.

"He’s a very, very special horse and every year he seems to be improving. That even looks to be his best