A year after being ousted with prohibitive odds on returning to action, Kyprios reclaimed his Irish St Leger (G1) crown with a prestigious, branded victory in the Curragh Group 1 race.
Your average stayer might be vulnerable to something with more toe in such circumstances, but this was no average stayer. He defied the uneven pace by gradually asserting himself as Ryan Moore began to run three furlongs further, taking his time to tire his stablemate. Euphrates River before finally pulling away and winning by two and a quarter lengths.
Moore, who picked up his first win at the top level this week after a series of narrow defeats in his previous five Group 1 matches, has only managed to win once.
He previously appeared to be dismissive of the idea that Kyprios might deserve a place in the Arc, but Aidan O’Brien isn’t completely ruling out the prospect after claiming his seventh win in the €600,000 ($664,595) event.
Son of the Chestnut Galileo (IRE) has won five times, three of them in major events following his bloodless triumphs in the Gold Cups at Ascot and Goodwood. And luckily the six-year-old, owned by a Coolmore-Moyglare Stud Farm partnership, will be back for more wins in 2025.
Standing alongside O’Brien, Moyglare owner Eva Maria Bucher-Haefner, who has now ridden her colours to Irish St Leger glory four times in six years following her sister Kyprios’ 2019 and 2020 triumphs Search for a song asserted that she “would love to see him race again next year”.
The coach was happy to go along with the plan. “That’s your answer,” O’Brien replied with a smile.
“Kyprios is special and every year he seems to get better. It seems like that was his best form again and Ryan said he won very easily.
“This is a very special pedigree and Eva has carried it all the way. Horses like this really only come along once in a lifetime.”
In 2023, Eldar Eldarov stopped Kyprios on the Curragh and he was then narrowly beaten at Ascot on Champions Day by Fisherman .
Those were the only two times he has been overturned in 12 starts since beating Search For A Song in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April 2022.
He suffered an infection in his joint capsule that kept him off the track for nearly 12 months, but he is clearly back to full strength and eager to race in 2024.
“He’s a very special horse,” said O’Brien of the 2-5 favourite. “In the Ascot Gold Cup, very few horses can last that long, but he’s got real class. He’s very genuine. To go through what he’s done and still be in the form he’s been in is incredible. He’s one in a million.”
