Irish Champions Weekend: a dozen top stats and facts for day one

Mark Twain and Benjamin Disraeli are both proponents of facts and statistics. They believe that facts are stubborn but statistics are pliable.

Irish Champions Weekend starts at 3.45.

This century, five odds-on winners have won the race. Eight favourites have been beaten. Vadeni is a general 5-4 for Saturday's renewal.

John Gosden has had four runners in the race. Nathaniel was second in 2012. Since then, he has sent over The Fugue (2013), Golden Horn (2015), Roaring Lion (2018) and each has won. This time, Gosen relies on Mishriff, who has already won big prizes in England, France, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Irish Stallion Farms has a 'sovereign path' hankerchief.

Masen won from stall 19 last year.

Irish Champions Weekend is underway. Since 2013, there have been nine renewals featuring 155 runners. None of the 72 runners drawn between 1-8 have won every time.

There have been 26 British-trained runners in the nine renewals since 2013. They have won four times and four of their party finished second. Richard Fahey- trained runners have a fine record in this race. Master Zoffany is first reserve.

4.55 Coolmore America 'JUSTIFY' MATRON STAKES. Chris Hayes tells Fran Berry more about Homeless Songs. Fran didn't ask the jockey if he was worried about the record of top-rated runners in the race.

Homeless Songs is rated at least 4lb superior to all her rivals in the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. It has been seven years since the runner with the highest rating has obliged.

Three-year-olds have won the past seven renewals of the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. Only 17 older horses have taken part in the 2018 running. Saffron Beach, Pearls Galore and Lights On fly the flag for the older generation.

Irish Champions Weekend is under way.

Australia won the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes the previous year.

Aidan O'Brien has won six of the ten renewals in 2017. He's fielded the runner-up on three occasions and the third time in 2016. O’Brien runs Auguste Rodin and his course and distance winner Tower Of London on Saturday.

Irish Champions Weekend kicked off on Sunday. Clipper Logistics has won the race.

Since 2000, 21 British runners have contested 13 renewals. They have won eight and had two runners-up. Jadoomi, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, makes the journey this time after a fluent success at Goodwood.

Irish Stallion Farms has a betting on 'PETINGO' Handicap for day one.

A high draw is usually an advantage in the finale of the Irish Champions Weekend. Seven of last ten winners have been drawn 13 or higher. Thirty-seven three-year-olds have run since 2012.

Willie Mullins has had 24 runners in the ten renewals. Three of them have won, two have been second and two were third. His sole candidate this time is Baby Zeus, who has run only twice this year. Six different Irish jockeys have ridden Baby Zepher. Tom Marquand has never ridden at Leopardstown.

Tiger Moth wins the race.

Aidan O'Brien has won the Kilternan Stakes a record nine times. Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen have won first four of the last five. Since 2001, O’Brien and Weld have combined to win the race on 16 occasions. Last year”s winner, Camorra, was only the second this century to be bought at a double-figure price.

Irish Champions Weekend starts today. There are two events on the first day.

The last year's winner has since run five times but not added to his tally. Two of the previous winners never ran again, while another raced only once more.