On Saturday’s Irish Champions Festival kickoff, classic-winning sophomores Auguste Rodin and Tahiyra raced into the Breeders’ Cup picture by defeating older horses in a pair of “Win and You’re In” contests.

Sprinting six furlongs doesn’t leave much time to recover from a poor start, but Shaquille made it work in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot.

Highfield Princess collected another Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” in Sunday’s Flying Five at the Curragh on an action-packed day two of Irish Champions Weekend.

The trainer/jockey tandem of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore won two of the three Breeders’ Cup Challenge events on Saturday’s opening day of Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown.