The Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch is scheduled for 4.20pm on Sunday at the Curragh. Run over 2m 170y, the Premier Handicap is open to horses aged three and older.
The latest official course description is yielding on the straight course and good to yielding on the round course as 30 horses prepare to go to post for Ireland’s premier staying handicap on the flat.
Race details: time, distance, going and latest update
The 3yo+ Premier Handicap is due off at 4.20pm on Sunday 27 September and is run over 2m 170y. The current card shows 33 runners and stalls have been allocated. The straight course is described as yielding, while the round course is good to yielding; those are the official conditions currently attached to the racecard.
The established stayers
Sky Captain heads the betting; he was runner-up in staying races at Killarney and Listowel in May before a sixth-place finish in the Northfields Handicap at the Curragh this month. His card record includes a Roscommon maiden success in July 2025. Trainer Joseph O’Brien knows how to win this race, and he also runs A Piece Of Heaven, who was second in the 2024 Irish Cesarewitch and has already won the Chester Cup this season. The eight-year-old subsequently finished sixth in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot; Luke McAteer is the current booked rider.
Absurde returns to the Flat after a 2026 hurdles campaign. The eight-year-old’s latest Flat appearance was in the 2025 Melbourne Cup, while he was third in the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh in August 2025. Daniel King is listed to ride for Willie Mullins, for whom The Reverend runs too. He won at Ripon and in Haydock’s Old Borough Cup in 2025 for William Haggas. After competing over hurdles earlier this year, he returned to the Flat with a close fourth in Leopardstown’s Petingo Handicap on 12 September.
Meanwhile, Tim Toe finished third in the Ascot Stakes in June, having won at Bellewstown and Listowel earlier in the season. Ronan Whelan is listed for the Curragh ride for Henry De Bromhead.
The three-year-olds in the field
After three-year-old winners in 2022 and 2024, the Irish Cesarewitch does not pose a stamina barrier to the younger generation.
One of those winner was Waterville for Aidan O’Brie, who runs Port Of Spain in this year’s renewal. Ryan Moore’s mount was a runner-up at Naas last time out off this mark of 101. He jumps up markedly in distance, but has to be considered a fascinating contender given his connections.
Joseph O’Brien was the other trainer of a three-year-old winner of this race recently. Shosholoza runs for him from that age group in 2026: he is by Australia, but ahs been down the field in Group and handicap company this term. Conversely, Madbadanddangerous has two big handicap wins over 1m5f to his name before lesser efforts the last twice for Noel Meade.
Irish Cesarewitch 2026 runners, stalls, riders and trainers
Awaiting racecard…