The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown has established itself as one of the leading Jumps meetings of the season on either side of the Irish Sea. This year’s meeting once again saw some huge performances, with many of the leading Irish horses enhancing their Cheltenham Festival claims.
As he often has, Champion Trainer Willie Mullins stole the headlines across the two days, saddling seven winners, including victories in the Irish Gold Cup and Irish Champion Hurdle.
Galopin Des Champs Wins Third Irish Gold Cup
Defending champion Galopin Des Champs became the third horse in history to complete a hat-trick in the Irish Gold Cup at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival. Mullins’ chaser is now just 8/13 for those looking to bet on Cheltenham Festival for the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March. He is bidding to complete that double for the third straight year.
𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐒, 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒! 🏆🏆🏆
Galopin Des Champs wins the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase!#ITVRacing | @LeopardstownRC | @PTownend | @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/AuEeAT3xJ7
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) February 1, 2025
Galopin Des Champs defeated his stablemate, Fact To File, at Leopardstown, and as a result, the latter is out to 6/1 in the Gold Cup ante post odds. The Irish horses remain in the top two positions in the betting for the most prestigious race in Jumps racing.
A third straight Gold Cup success would help Galopin Des Champs cement his place as one of the best 3m chasers of the modern era. The 2024 Irish Horse of the Year has dominated the 3m division over the last few years and he is on course to end the season as the best chaser in training once again.
State Man Bounces Back in Irish Champion Hurdle
Last season’s Champion Hurdle winner, State Man, went into the Irish Champion Hurdle on the back of two defeats. He was beaten in the Morigana Hurdle by Brighterdaysahead, while in the Neville Hotels Hurdle, both Brighterdaysahead and Winter Fog finished ahead of him. Mullins’ star hurdler was back to his best at Leopardstown to claim the race for the third consecutive year.
State Man took on Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle which was billed as one of the best duals at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival. Those two horses were locked together with four hurdles to jump, but the mare made a mistake at that point and came crashing down to the floor. It left her stablemate clear of the rest of the field under the hands of Paul Townend.
After a confidence-boosting performance, State Man will now head back to the Cheltenham Festival for the day one championship race. He will need to be at his best when he takes on the former winner Constitution Hill, who remains unbeaten in his career and is fully over the setback that ruled him out of the race in 2024.
Kopek Des Bordes Establishes Himself as a Big Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Player
One of the most impressive performances at the Dublin Racing Festival came on day two of the meeting when Kopek Des Bordes won the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle by 13 lengths. Mullins’ novice did not come off the bridle in what was an eye-catching display.
The Grade One winner now looks the horse to beat in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He has now moved to the top of Mullins’ pecking order for the opening race of the meeting.
This year’s Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday, 11th of March at 13:30, with the first of 28 races from the Cotswold venue.
