The Leopardstown Derby Trial, currently run as the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial, is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardstown in May.

History Established in 1971, the event was originally called the Nijinsky Stakes. It was named after Nijinsky, the previous year's Irish-trained English Triple Crown winner.

For a period the Nijinsky Stakes held Group 2 status. It was open to older horses for several years from the mid-1970s.

The race was renamed the Derby Trial Stakes in 1984. From this point it was sponsored by Derrinstown Stud. It was downgraded to Group 3 level in the early 1990s, and promoted back to Group 2 in 2003. It was downgraded again to Group 3 status in 2014. Derrinstown Stud's sponsorship ended after the 2021 race and there was no sponsor in 2022 or 2023. Since 2024 the race has been sponsored by Cashel Palace Hotel.

The Derby Trial can serve as a trial for the Epsom Derby. The last horse to win both races was High Chaparral in 2002. The last winner to achieve victory in the Irish Derby was Los Angeles in 2024.

The title "Nijinsky Stakes" was later assigned to a different race at Leopardstown, a Listed event for three-year-olds in June which is now run as the King George V Cup.

Records

Leading jockey (8 wins): Christy Roche – Ballymore (1973), Noelino (1979), Toca Madera (1986), St Jovite (1992), Perfect Imposter (1993), Truth or Dare (1996), Ashley Park (1997), Risk Material (1998)

Leading trainer (17 wins): Aidan O'Brien – Risk Material (1998), Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Yeats (2004), Dylan Thomas (2006), Archipenko (2007), Fame and Glory (2009), Midas Touch (2010), Recital (2011), Battle of Marengo (2013), Douglas Macarthur (2017), Broome (2019), Cormorant (2020), Bolshoi Ballet (2021), Stone Age (2022), Los Angeles (2024), Delacroix (2025)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time 1971 Sea Friend Buster Parnell Paddy Prendergast 2:12.90 1972 Boucher Johnny Roe Vincent O'Brien 2:10.00 1973 Ballymore Christy Roche Paddy Prendergast 1974 Hail the Pirates Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1975 Nuthatch Wally Swinburn John Oxx, Sr. 2:12.20 1976 Meneval Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1977 Orchestra Raymond Carroll John Oxx, Sr. 2:15.20 1978 Slaney Idol Wally Swinburn Liam Browne 1979 Noelino Christy Roche Paddy Prendergast 2:20.50 1980 Ramian Wally Swinburn Dermot Weld 1981 Young Kildare Michael Kinane Liam Browne 2:18.90 1982 Golden Fleece Pat Eddery Vincent O'Brien 2:06.80 1983 Salmon Leap Pat Eddery Vincent O'Brien 2:20.70 1984 Sadler's Wells George McGrath Vincent O'Brien 2:11.50 1985 Theatrical Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 2:13.80 1986 Toca Madera Christy Roche Liam Browne 1987 Seattle Dancer Cash Asmussen Vincent O'Brien 2:07.90 1988 Kris Kringle John Reid Vincent O'Brien 2:11.20 1989 Phantom Breeze Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 2:09.60 1990 Anvari Basil Marcus Clive Brittain 2:03.40 1991 Runyonii Stephen Craine Tommy Stack 2:07.80 1992 St Jovite Christy Roche Jim Bolger 2:10.40 1993 Perfect Imposter Christy Roche Jim Bolger 2:07.90 1994 Artema Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 2:08.90 1995 Humbel Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 2:06.30 1996 Truth or Dare Christy Roche Charles O'Brien 2:05.00 1997 Ashley Park Christy Roche Charles O'Brien 2:15.30 1998 Risk Material Christy Roche Aidan O'Brien 2:06.90 1999 Port Bayou Pat Shanahan Dermot Weld 2:16.00 2000 Sinndar Johnny Murtagh John Oxx 2:04.90 2001 Galileo Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien 2:08.50 2002 High Chaparral Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien 2:03.50 2003 Alamshar Johnny Murtagh John Oxx 2:07.40 2004 Yeats Jamie Spencer Aidan O'Brien 2:10.30 2005 Fracas Jamie Spencer David Wachman 2:16.40 2006 Dylan Thomas Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien 2:07.80 2007 Archipenko Michael Kinane Aidan O'Brien 2:07.90 2008 Casual Conquest Pat Smullen Dermot Weld 2:05.35 2009 Fame and Glory Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien 2:03.62 2010 Midas Touch Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien 2:02.54 2011 Recital Kieren Fallon Aidan O'Brien 2:04.09 2012 Light Heavy Kevin Manning Jim Bolger 2:11.50 2013 Battle of Marengo Joseph O'Brien Aidan O'Brien 2:07.79 2014 Fascinating Rock Pat Smullen Dermot Weld 2:14.95 2015 Success Days Shane Foley Ken Condon 2:19.50 2016 Moonlight Magic Kevin Manning Jim Bolger 2:07.74 2017 Douglas Macarthur Emmet McNamara Aidan O'Brien 2:09.50 2018 Hazapour Declan McDonogh Dermot Weld 2:08.58 2019 Broome Donnacha O'Brien Aidan O'Brien 2:09.18 2020 Cormorant Padraig Beggy Aidan O'Brien 2:08.88 2021 Bolshoi Ballet Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 2:07.37 2022 Stone Age Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 2:08.25 2023 Sprewell Shane Foley Jessica Harrington 2:15.57 2024 Los Angeles Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien 2:06.82 2025 Delacroix Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien 2:10.59 2026 James J Braddock Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph O'Brien 2:08:20

See also Horse racing in Ireland List of Irish flat horse races

References

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galopp-sieger.de – Derby Trial Stakes. galopp-sieger.de – Nijinsky Stakes. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (2019). irishracinggreats.com – Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Group 2). pedigreequery.com – Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes – Leopardstown. pedigreequery.com – Nijinsky Stakes – Leopardstown.