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2027 Golden Fleece Stakes Preview
The Group 1 Golden Fleece Stakes, which was previously known as the Champions Juvenile Stakes, takes place in September at the Leopardstown racecourse during the Irish Champions Festival.
The race is restricted to two-year-olds and contested over a mile and one furlong; the winner of the race gets an automatic invite to run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
The 2009 renewal was held at Fairyhouse; the race was previously run over 7f and was upped to one mile in 2012, and the race was upgraded from a Group 3 to a Group 2 in 2018.
In 2026, the race went back to its original name whilst being upgraded to a Group 1, extended by a further furlong, and now excludes geldings from being entered.
In-form Irish maiden graduates
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Golden Fleece Stakes Information:
- Golden Fleece Stakes Past Winners
- Golden Fleece Stakes Trainer Statistics
- Golden Fleece Stakes Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Leopardstown, then head over to the Leopardstown tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Irish Champions Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Golden Fleece Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2011, when the race had an over-round of 107%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 123%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Golden Fleece Stakes, the over-round has been 114%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £114 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Golden Fleece Stakes Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Golden Fleece Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Golden Fleece Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Zoffany (1:27.89) in 2010
- Tenth Star (1:27.96) in 2011
- Perfect Symmetry (1:28.39) in 2009
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Golden Fleece Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -13.17. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2027 Golden Fleece Stakes.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2026 renewal when Darkness Falls from A P O'Brien under the guidance of Ryan Moore, won in a time of 1:51.73, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Zoffany, trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Seamie Heffernan set the quickest time of 1:27.89 in the 2010 renewal.
Golden Fleece Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Golden Fleece Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed are the stall from which the horse came and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Golden Fleece Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:51.73 | Darkness Falls (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (6 of 9) 1/1F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2025 1:42.35 | Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (3 of 4) 1/2F | Christophe Soumillon A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2024 1:39.52 | Green Impact (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (2 of 4) 5/2 | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2023 1:40.46 | Diego Velazquez (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (2 of 7) 8/15F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 1:45.25 | Auguste Rodin (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (5 of 5) 11/10F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2021 1:42.75 | Atomic Beauty (FR) 2yo 9-5 (1 of 10) 10/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2020 1:40.93 | Cadillac (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (8 of 9) 11/8F | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2019 1:42.59 | Mogul (GB) 2yo 9-3 (7 of 7) 1/2F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2018 1:41.00 | Madhmoon (IRE) 2yo 9-3 (9 of 7) 6/5F | Chris Hayes Kevin Prendergast (IRE) |
| 2017 1:47.35 | Nelson (IRE) 2yo 9-3 (7 of 10) 11/2 | Donnacha O'Brien A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Golden Fleece Stakes have been based:
- IRE: 20 winners with an additional 19 placings from 120 runners
- GB: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
2026 Golden Fleece Stakes Replay
Golden Fleece Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Golden Fleece Stakes over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race twelve times, with those twelve winners coming from Zoffany (2010), Tenth Star (2011), Battle Of Marengo (2012), Australia (2013), John F Kennedy (2014), Johannes Vermeer (2015), Nelson (2017), Mogul (2019), Auguste Rodin (2022), Diego Velazquez (2023), Benvenuto Cellini (2025) and Darkness Falls (2026). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Golden Fleece Stakes are G M Lyons (2 wins) and Mrs John Harrington (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Golden Fleece Stakes. J S Bolger has sent a total of 16 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Joseph Patrick O'Brien has sent out 14 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Golden Fleece Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 34-12-18 | -2.89 | -3.49 |
| G M Lyons | 12-2-3 | +1.38 | +1.36 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 4-2-2 | +1.88 | -1.17 |
| Kevin Prendergast | 3-1-2 | -0.80 | -0.33 |
| K J Condon | 1-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.63 |
| J S Bolger | 16-0-2 | -16.00 | -10.13 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 14-0-2 | -14.00 | -6.55 |
| D K Weld | 7-0-4 | -7.00 | -1.77 |
| Donnacha Aidan O'Brien | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.00 |
| M Halford | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.87 |
Golden Fleece Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Golden Fleece Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Ryan Moore, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Mogul (2019), Auguste Rodin (2022), Diego Velazquez (2023) and Darkness Falls (2026). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Golden Fleece Stakes is Shane Foley (3 wins).
Here are some of the top Golden Fleece Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 9-4-7 | -1.87 | +0.22 |
| Shane Foley | 5-3-3 | +10.88 | +4.46 |
| Seamie Heffernan | 9-1-3 | -7.43 | -3.87 |
| Colin Keane | 7-1-2 | +4.00 | +1.70 |
| Wayne Lordan | 5-1-1 | -0.67 | -1.92 |
| Chris Hayes | 2-1-1 | +0.20 | -0.25 |
| Christophe Soumillon | 2-1-1 | -0.50 | -1.00 |
| N G McCullagh | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.50 |
| Declan McDonogh | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -5.08 |
| Gavin Ryan | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.00 |
2027 Golden Fleece Stakes Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, 1, (2, 6), 1, 1, 2, 1, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (68%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl4 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Off a break of 14 - 76 days
- 20 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Highest Run is not G1/G3/LST/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (82%) - In a field of 6 - 13 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 1 - 2 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in 1 - 3 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Place)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 82+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Is not USA bred
- 19 / 20 (66%) - Break of 14 - 76 days (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Leopardstown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Golden Fleece Stakes. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Golden Fleece Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
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2027 Golden Fleece Stakes Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the Golden Fleece Stakes will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
Golden Fleece Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +8.01, is when runners had 1 win in the past 30 days.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners finished in 4th on debut; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-16.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 6 (9,8) [9 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 3 [4 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 [4 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (7) [7 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 5 (2) [5 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Golden Fleece Stakes is Curragh; there have been a total of 9 winners of this race who ran at Curragh last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 121 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 4 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Golden Fleece Stakes:
- Galileo (5 Wins)
- Frankel (3 Wins)
- Dansili (2 Wins)
- Wootton Bassett (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Golden Fleece Stakes despite multiple attempts:
- Teofilo (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Australia (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Bruges in 2007, winning for David P Myerscough at odds of 12/1 under the guidance of N G McCullagh. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 12 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Golden Fleece Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Golden Fleece Stakes
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Golden Fleece Stakes. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Darkness Falls Curragh - 1st of 13 (4/6) | John Ormonde Wexford Sand Irish EBF |
| 2025 - Benvenuto Cellini Killarney - 1st of 8 (2/5) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden |
| 2024 - Green Impact Leopardstown - 1st of 8 (11/8) | Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden |
| 2023 - Diego Velazquez Curragh - 1st of 13 (2/5) | Bord Na Mona Recycling Irish EBF Maiden |
| 2022 - Auguste Rodin Naas - 1st of 13 (3/10) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden |
| 2021 - Atomic Beauty Curragh - 1st of 9 (11/2) | Barronstown Stud Irish EBF |
| 2020 - Cadillac Curragh - 2nd of 8 (4/5) | Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes |
| 2019 - Mogul Curragh - 1st of 12 (8/13) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF |
| 2018 - Madhmoon Leopardstown - 1st of 8 (9/2) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF |
| 2017 - Nelson Leopardstown - 1st of 6 (1/2) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF |
Principal races during the Irish Champions Festival
Saturday at the Irish Champions Festival
Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, the highlight of the day being the Irish Champions Stakes, a race dominated by Aidan O'Brien in recent years, with him winning six of the last seven renewals and having won the race a total of thirteen times.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereign Path Handicap | Krasimir (IRE) 3yo - 15/2 | G M Lyons Reese Holohan |
| Golden Fleece Stakes | Darkness Falls (IRE) 2yo - 1/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Matron Stakes | Blue Bolt (IRE) 4yo - 4/5 | Andrew Balding Colin Keane |
| Solonaway Stakes | Quddwah (GB) 6yo - 1/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle |
| Irish Champion Stakes | Hotazhell (GB) 4yo - 50/1 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| Petingo Handicap | Immutable (IRE) 6yo - 25/1 | Joseph G Murphy Luke McAteer |
Sunday at the Irish Champions Festival
The Sunday of the Irish Champions Festival is hosted at the Curragh with four Group 1 races, the highlight being the Irish St Leger. Aidan has not been as dominant in this, with just seven wins, two behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bold Lad Sprint Handicap | Tango Flare (IRE) 6yo - 50/1 | Patrick T Foley Luke McAteer |
| Blandford Stakes | Barnavara (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| Moyglare Stud Stakes | Precise (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | A P O'Brien Ronan Whelan |
| Flying Five Stakes | Arizona Blaze (GB) 3yo - 11/2 | Adrian Murray David Egan |
| National Stakes | Zavateri (IRE) 2yo - 15/2 | Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop |
| Irish St Leger | Al Riffa (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| Northfields Handicap | Shaool (IRE) 4yo - 11/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Golden Fleece Stakes Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
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