Saturday belonged to the ladies: Harrington completed a historic day with Hotazhell
After Saffie Osborne became the first female jockey to win a British Classic aboard Highwayman, Jessica Harringtonmade history at Leopardstown: Hotazhell pulled off a massive 50-1 shock in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), making her the first female trainer to capture Ireland's marquee race
DUBLIN, Ireland (Special for Turf Diario).— European horse racing witnessed a Saturday defined by women. Doncaster had opened a door that remained closed for centuries with the historic victory of Saffie Osborne and Highwayman (Persian King) in the St Leger (G1). A few hours later, across the Irish Sea, Jessica Harrington took up the mantle and wrote her own golden chapter: Hotazhell pulled off a 50-1 shock in the Irish Champion Stakes(G1-2000m) at Leopardstown.
It is difficult to imagine two stories more fitting to share the very same afternoon.
Osborne, 24, became the first female jockey to capture one of the five British Classics in the 250th running of the St Leger. Harrington, nearing 80, added another milestone to a career that has been breaking barriers for decades: she is now the first female trainer to win the Irish Champion Stakes, one of Europe's premier races.
And she accomplished it with a horse in whom she never lost faith. Hotazhell had hinted since his 2-year-old season that he possessed serious quality, but for a long time he struggled to convert that potential into results. After edging Delacroix (Dubawi) by a head in the 2024 Futurity Stakes (G2), he endured a long drought, failing to score in his subsequent seven outings.
Harrington persisted.
The reward began to arrive recently in Germany, where Hotazhell repelled Timeforshowcasing (Showcasing) and Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) by the narrowest of margins in the Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1). That was no fluke. Leopardstown confirmed it once and for all.
With Shane Foley in the irons, the son of Too Darn Hot once again needed every last inch to prevail. Wimbledon Hawkeye closed with immense speed on the outside under Christophe Soumillon and even looked to have poked his nose in front a stride before the wire, but Hotazhell dropped his head at the exact right moment to seal the victory by a nose.
It marked his third G1 victory, and all three have come by tiny margins.
The finish was not without drama. While chasing Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) down the center of the course, Hotazhell drifted significantly to his left and ended up interfering with A Boy Named Susie(Starspangledbanner), who in turn hampered Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett), pushing Lambourn (Australia) toward the rail.
The stewards handed Foley an 11-day suspension for careless riding, though the result remained untouched.
Far less fortunate were some of the key contenders. Constitution River enjoyed the trip he needed and looked poised to strike, but his charge flattened out when the ultimate moment arrived. Aidan O'Brien made no excuses for the disappointing effort.
Worse off was Item (Frankel), who came in having defeated Almaqam (Lope de Vega) and Constitution Riverhimself in the Juddmonte International (G1) at York, yet failed to ever become seriously involved.
The afternoon belonged to Hotazhell, Foley, and above all, Harrington. “It’s fantastic to add this race to the resume. These races are so hard to win, and when they come along, you have to enjoy them,” summarized the trainer, who recalled always holding her horse in the highest regard despite things not going to plan for much of 2025 and early this season.
Foley, who reached his 13th G1 win and his first in the Irish Champion, was even more emphatic when praising his trainer: “What a woman Jessie is. She’s phenomenal.”
Harrington knows a thing or two about making history. Before turning to training, she was an international event rider, and since taking over the license held by her late husband Johnny nearly four decades ago, she has built an extraordinary career over obstacles and on the flat alike, boasting victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle, Classics, and numerous G1s.
Now she adds the Irish Champion Stakes to her mantle. Hotazhell also secured an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) at Keeneland as part of the Win and You're In program, though Ascot appears his most likely target for October.
The future can wait. This Saturday belonged to them. Saffie Osborne reshaped the history of British racing in the St Leger at Doncaster, and Jessica Harrington proved once again at Leopardstown that long before barriers began to fall, she had already learned how to jump them.
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