Ger Lyons, who has a good record at Irish Champions Festival, completed a double in the opening two races on Saturday.

The Juddmonte Farms-owned previous course and distance winner Máire Rua (5/2) won the opening Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes (Listed) for two-year-old fillies under jockey Colin Keane.

The grey daughter of Frankel came on the outside of the 11-runner field to claim victory by a half-length from the favourite Timeless Tale (2/1), with the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair, Snowing (11/1) and Ibelieveicanfly (3/1) third and fourth respectively.

Birthday boy @ctkjockey gets his day off to a flyer! 🎂

Grey Frankel filly Maire Rua comes home best to land the Ingabelle Stakes for the Ger Lyons team. @BallylinchStud | @IrishEBF_ | @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/NtSW3Qtu5D

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— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026

Ger Lyons said of his first race winner:

“She is nice filly going forward. She was out quick and I got onto the tail of Billy [Lee on Timeless Tale]. She picked up well in the straight and she will have no problem going a mile. She needs racing and needs to learn more.”

Lyons took the second race on the card with the success of Krasimir (15/2) and Reece Holohan in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path (Premier Handicap).

The Tally-Ho Stud-bred bay gelded son of Mehmas won by a head from the English-trained Vafortina (7/1), with the Johnny Murtagh-handled Sindagan (12/1), arguable the unlucky runner in the race. coming home in third, three-quarters of one length behind the runner-up.

It’s Ger Lyons again! 🥇🥇@LeopardstownRC | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/8NVAwcFv64

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026

Two English Winners

British handlers completed a Group double on day one of Irish Champions Festival. Arabian Crown (11/), supplemented for the Group 3 World Pool Bet With The Tote Kilternan Stakes, while the Simon & Ed Crisford favourite Quddwah (evens favourite) won the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes.

A front-running masterclass 🟦🟦@godolphin runner Arabian Crown leads his rivals a merry dance under the perfect front-running ride from @the_doyler in the G3 Kilternan Stakes.@HKJC_Racing | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/s71NtSGWfv

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 12, 2026

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Murphy and McCreer take Premier Handicaps

Tipperary handler Joe Murphy took a Premier Handicap when Immutable (25/1), under Luke McAteer, won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Pettingo Handicap.

The six-year-old bay gelding had a neck to spare over the Joseph O’Brien-trained Yousaynothingatall (6/1) and Oisín Murphy, with Willie Mullins’ Too Bossy For Us (11/1) next home in the hands of Ben Coen.

The final race, the World Pool Bet With Tote Autumn Fillies Handicap (Premier Handicap), went to Ben Coen and Willie McCreery, as Rebel Wave (7/1) got the better of Chica Guerra (18/1) and Killashee Warrior (8/1) by a half-length and a short-head respectively.

Arch Manning had a disastrous start against Ohio State on Saturday, and fans had a field day with it.

During the game’s second drive, with his team down a field goal, the Texas quarterback misjudged a pass to Cam Coleman. The ball bounced off the wide receiver’s hands and into those of Buckeyes cornerback Jaylen McClain:

The cameras later shifted to a puzzled Manning:

Much mockery ensued as soon as the footage hit:

The Longhorns would fall burther behind later that quarter, when Buckeyes running back Ja’Kobi Jackson rushed for an eight-yard touchdown.

Manning finished the first quarter with just a single completion to Raleek Brown that resulted in a four-yard loss. He also lost ten yards on one rushing attempt. Only Daylan Smothers had positive yardage, rushing thrice for 13 yards.

While the number of his interceptions has not been a major narrative in his career, his perceived inability to handle “big-game” pressure has. During ESPN’s “College GameDay”, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian got candid on the topic:

“Honestly, I think the adversity he got faced with last year was the best thing for him, his career, for his future and his own mental health. He had never had real adversity before. So to get faced with it, then get on the other side of it and play the way he played the second half of the season, I think that speaks volumes of the human being.”

ALSO READ: “All an act”: NFL fans mock Arch Manning’s “manufactured excitement” for Texas vs. Ohio State Week 2 game

ALSO READ: “He has to have monster game”: Arch Manning put under massive pressure by Paul Finebaum to save Steve Sarkisian vs. Ohio State

Arch Manning receives half of runaway winner’s votes in 2027 QB1 draft poll

Costly interceptions like the one above can serve to hurt prospects’ standing, and it is no different for Arch Manning, as evidenced by a recent 2027 draft QB1 poll.

On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel revealed that the son of Cooper and nephew of Peyton and Eli had received seven votes. While it was good enough for solo second, Oregon’s Dante Moore received double that amount.

South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers was the only other quarterback to have more then one vote, receiving two. LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr had one vote each.

The 2027 QB class also boasts the likes of Oklahoma’s Julian Sayin, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Cambliss and Cinciinati’s Brendan Sorsby. A veteran NFL executive commented on such depth:

“That’s crazy. I just don’t know the last time that’s happened. But again, how many of those [dozen or so] will actually come out and have good years? Also, there’s always the Cam Wards — a guy people aren’t talking about that’s all of sudden in top 30.”

The 2027 NFL draft will emanate from Washington, D.C.’s National Mall from April 29 to May 1.