Sport

Galopin Des Champs takes on nine rivals in Irish Gold Cup hat-trick hunt

Banbridge connections in no rush to firm up future big-race plans

Galopin Des Champs is set to face nine rivals in his bid for a third victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday. Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA Wire
Galopin Des Champs is set to face nine rivals in his bid for a third victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday. Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA Wire
Thu Jan 30 2025 - 18:40

Galopin Des Champs is set to face nine rivals in his bid for a third victory in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Also a dual winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Willie Mullins’s superstar chaser will be a red-hot favourite to make it a hat-trick in the feature event on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival following another imperious display in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last month.

The nine-year-old will renew rivalry with several horses who finished behind him that day, most notably his stablemate Fact To File, who beat Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan at Punchestown earlier this season but was firmly put in his place over the festive period.

The champion trainer also saddles Embassy Gardens, who impressed at Tramore on New Year’s Day, as well as Grand National hero I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West and Minella Cocooner in his bid for a 14th Irish Gold Cup success.

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The biggest threat to the Mullins battalion appears to be Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star, who filled the runner-up spot behind Embassy Gardens at Tramore.

Conflated (Gordon Elliott), Hewick (Tara Lee Cogan) and Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) complete the field.

The first of four Grade Ones on the card is the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle and Mullins is responsible for five of the 12 runners declared, including Final Demand and Supersundae.

Cromwell’s course and distance winner Hello Neighbour is a narrow favourite for the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle, while the Mullins-trained Majborough takes on stable companion Ile Atlantique as well as five other opponents in the Goffs Irish Arkle.

Meanwhile, a decision has still to be made on which major race Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge will contest in the spring.

The Ronnie Bartlett-owned chestnut came from a long way back to catch Il Est Francais in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

That had been the nine-year-old’s first big objective of the season and with such a successful outcome, he has been enjoying a midseason break since.

As his work begins to build back up, connections of the three-times Grade One winner need to decide which championship race at the Cheltenham Festival will suit him best, as he holds an entry in all three – the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and the Boodles Gold Cup.

Or he could even just wait for Aintree, where he won the Manifesto Novices’ Chase two years ago.

“Banbridge is in good form. He hasn’t done much since Kempton, but he’s in good shape,” said O’Brien. “I’ve not had a chat with Ronnie about where he’ll go next, but we’re looking forward to the spring with him and he’s been training well since Kempton.

“We will just see how all the races look like shaping up, see what conditions are like and then just go with where we feel the best option is.”

O’Brien is definitely targeting Cheltenham with Home By The Lee, though, who despite being a 10-year-old has looked better than ever this season.

He beat Bob Olinger by three and a half lengths in the Lismullen Hurdle in November and increased his advantage over his old rival to six lengths in the Savills Hurdle at Leopardstown, his second win in the Christmas feature.

“Home By The Lee is also in really good form and he will go straight to the Stayers’ Hurdle,” said O’Brien.