Galopin Des Champs won his second Irish Gold Cup on Saturday at Leopardstown at “The Dublin Racing Festival”, for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend. It was also a day to remember for jockey Danny Mullins who rode a treble, and for Carl Millar riding one of his biggest career winners to date. 

Thousands of racegoers from Ireland, England and Scotland enjoyed a superb day of crème de la crème National Hunt Racing at the Foxrock track in Dublin. The first of seven races went to post at 13:20 The Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle  (Grade 1) over the distance of 2 miles 6 furlongs,  going to the 16/1 outsider for the Willie Mullins trained Dancing City under jockey Danny Mullins. Predators Gold went off at evens favourite for the first string for the Mullins team with Paul Townend in the saddle, but it was to be the 16/1 shot Dancing City to land the spoils for owners Mrs. J Donnelly and the inform Danny Mullins to hold off second place Predators Gold by 1 ¼ lengths.

Race two was the McCann Fitzgerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle  (Grade 1) which went to post at 13:50 over the trip of 2 miles, The Willie Mullins trained Marjborough ridden by Mark Walsh made almost all the running, until Kargese the 7/2 second favourite under Danny Mullins took it up going down towards the last flight with the 9/4 favourite Storm Heart chasing in second. Kargese wasn’t to be caught and won by 1 ¼ lengths from a strong left handed drive under Danny Mullins, giving the Mullins team the first four home. 

The third race on the card was The Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Steeplechase (Grade 1) at 14:25. Last years Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle winner at Cheltenham Marine Nationale went off as the 4/7 favourite but only managed to finish fifth, with a mistake at the last fence but at that stage was too late as Found A Fifty under Jack Kennedy jumped the last fence in front with Facile Vega landing in second and IL Etait Temps just clearing the last fence. Found A Fifty kept grinding it out but was to be narrowly beaten by IL Etait Temps at the price of 6/1 by just a neck under inform jockey once again Danny Mullins, who couldn’t help but show his excitement by punching the air as they passed the line. 

Race four was the Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (listed) Race which went to post at 15:00. Won by Maxxum at a big price of 28/1 trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden to victory by seven pound claimer Carl Millar. It is the biggest winner so far in Carls career to date, having to defy the odds of the ground going slightly against the horse, and carrying top weight of eleven stone twelve pounds, the valuable seven pound claim for Millar came into play when seeing off  Ted Walsh’s Gaoth Chuil by ¾ of a length. Millar from Blanchardstown originally, rode his first winner on the track back in 2022 onboard Single Edition for trainer Nigel Slevin in a National Hunt Flat Race at Down Royal Racecourse. Previously before landing Saturdays biggest race  of his career, Carl has ridden two winners on his last two rides at Down Royal and Limerick Racecourse, and a total of nine winners so far for the young seven pound claimer.  Although there is quite a few jockeys ahead of Carl in Gordons yard, I am sure the Blanchardstown young man will keep working hard and want plenty more success in the saddle on days like these. Carl Millar is a name to keep an eye out for in the future.  

The fifth race was the big one of the day, and where ever you walked around the Foxrock venue all you could hear was will Galopin Des Champs do it again? Or will Fastorslow deny Galopin Des Champs the attempt to go for his second Irish Gold Cup? The Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) went to post at 15:35. The Willie Mullins trained Galopin Des Champs went off at 1/3 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend, with the Martin Brassil trained Fastorslow under J J Slevin at the price of 7/2. Over the trip of three miles and with just four runners in the field,  Galopin Des Champs made all of the running from flag drop to finishing post, putting in an excellent display of jumping all round. On coming down to the last fence Galopin Des Champs was one length up on Fastorslow,  with Conflated in third who made a mistake and unfortunately unseated Jack Kennedy, leaving I AM Maximus pick up the third place prize money. After jumping the final fence Galopin Des Champs jockey Paul Townend only had to niggle the reins and grab a hold of his mount to kick clear and win by 4 ½ lengths to Fastorslow in second. The voice of Irish Racing commentator Jerry Hannon rung round the Dublin track saying,  “Galopin Des Champs looks to have the measure of Fastorslow as he’s about to avenge defeat inflicted by his great rival”,  “ Its Galopin Des Champs who lights up another Dublin Racing Festival, and repeats Paddy Power Irish Gold Cups for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins”.  Galopin Des Champs was led back into the winners enclosure by his every day rider and groom in charge Adam Connolly and owner Audrey Turley. Outside the parade ring was ten deep as everyone wanted to see the superstar,  and what made this even extra special was that I could hear racegoers saying isn’t it fantastic to see how much affection Paul Townend and everyone involved has for the horse, and how lucky we all are in witnessing two great horses battling it out in Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow, and to see both horses heading to The Cheltenham Festival in March. 

The Ryanair Handicap Chase (listed) was the second last race on the card at 16:10, with the English favourite Madara going off at 4/1 in the hands of James Reveley for trainer Sophie Leech. Having tracked the leaders and moving into fifth position halfway, Reveley moved Madara into fourth place three out, and crept ever so closer with finding himself in front to jump the last fence ahead of the Gavin Cromwell trained Path D’oroux under Sean Flanagan. On the run to the line Madara kicked clear by a comfortable 2 ¾ lengths with Reveley just using his hands and heels to keep the English raider up to his job. 

The final race of the day was The Donohue Marquees Future Stars (colts & geldings) INH Flat Race at 16:40. The John Kiely’s A Dream To Share who had won on all his starts going into this race including, The Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and The Punchestown Champion Bumper, and ridden by John Gleeson in all his starts,  was having his first run back since April 26^th 2023 going off as the 8/11 favourite but could only finish sixth. It was to be the Emmet Mullins trained horse Jeroboam Machin at a price of 12/1 ridden by one of the top amateurs in the game Derek O’ Connor for winning owner Paul Byrne. The five year old gelding by Joshua Tree went into this race unbeaten, and seeing off You Oughta Know by an impressive 4 ¼ lengths. Having won a Point to Point at Durrow for Cormac Doyle back in March 2023. Since going to the Emmet Mullins yard, Jeroboam Machin has won a bumper at Fairyhouse back in November 2023,  and now seeing off some of Irelands top quality bumper horses. Having won on Saturday at Leopardstown Jeroboam Machin was slashed from a big price of 16/1 into the outright favourite at 4/1 for The Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, but on Tuesday morning trainer Emmet Mullins revealed that the horse will be out for the season with an injury, that emerged after the race the weekend, and hopes he will be back for next season. In my opinion I really do hope we see him back next season, he’s a really exciting horse with a bright future ahead of him, and one of the most impressive bumper winners I have seen in a while, so hopefully we can see him back next season,  and back in the winners enclosure once again for both Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne.