Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
Grade 1, Leopardstown 15:30
€250,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
3m, Class 1   
Saturday 31st January 2026

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All roads lead back here on January 31, where Willie Mullins looks set to unleash a revitalised Galopin Des Champs in what promises to be one of the races of the National Hunt season.

The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was seen to advantage despite defeat on his seasonal return in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, finishing an honourable third behind Affordale Fury after a 266-day absence. That run marked his first appearance since landing the Punchestown Gold Cup in late April and came after an autumn setback delayed his reappearance.

Trainer Willie Mullins was quick to highlight the positives, suggesting the nine-year-old’s performance was exactly what he needed ahead of a targeted bid for a fourth Irish Gold Cup crown.

“I thought he ran a cracker as he probably needed the race against that type of opposition,” said Mullins. “He looked like he might win after the second-last and again going to the last, but the lack of a race told on him in a race of that calibre over that trip.”

Crucially for connections, Galopin Des Champs appeared to come out of the race in good heart.

“He went home and ate up, which is a great sign. It suggests he didn’t take it as hard as I thought it looked,” Mullins added. “Hopefully he’ll be back for the Irish Gold Cup.”

Cheltenham implications loom large

The January 31 contest is shaping up as a pivotal stepping stone to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Galopin Des Champs currently a 6-1 joint-favourite for the March showpiece alongside the reigning champion Inothewayurthinkin, according to Paddy Power.

Mullins could yet field a formidable supporting cast. Gaelic Warrior, who went down by just a short head when third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, remains a possible contender.

“He ran a cracker in Kempton,” Mullins said. “Things didn’t fall for him and he met a bit of traffic… Gaelic Warrior could come back here for the Irish Gold Cup, it could be a fascinating race.”

Stablemate Fact To File may also be given another chance to show his true colours after failing to shine in a slowly-run race that Mullins felt did not play to his strengths.

Verdict

If Galopin Des Champs takes his usual step forward from first run to second, Leopardstown could once again witness the best version of a modern great. With potential clashes against top-class stablemates and key Cheltenham rivals, this year’s Irish Gold Cup has all the ingredients of a vintage renewal – and one that may define the Gold Cup picture on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)
3m, €250,000 guaranteed
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