Saturday’s Irish Gold Cup at the 2023 Dublin Racing Festival is down to just seven runners, with last year’s winner Conflated the big name to drop out at the latest declaration stage and will head straight for the Gold Cup at the Cheltenahm Festival. The good news for racing fans is the exciting Galopin Des Champs is still in the race.
You can also see the best 2023 Dublin Racing Festival betting offers for new and existing customers here – so, why not create a new betting account and some free bets along the way too.
Conflated To Miss Irish Gold Cup Defence at 2023 Dublin Racing Festival
At the latest declaration stage, ahead of the two-day Dublin Racing Festival this weekend, Saturday’s Irish Gold Cup entries were shaved down to just seven runners, with the 2022 hero Conflated taken out.
Last year’s winner, who is @ 10/1 for both the Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, will not be back to defend his Irish Gold Cup crown on Saturday and is now likely to head straight to the Festival for the Gold Cup on March 17th.
Conflated’s trainer Gordon Elliott told the Racing Post “We’ve decided to go straight to the Gold Cup with Conflated as the ground is probably going to dry out pretty quick in Leopardstown,” . “We’re a bit nervous about the ground with him so we’re not going to give ourselves any temptation to run him and we’ll just go straight to Cheltenham.”
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Galopin Des Champs Remains On Target For Irish and Cheltenham Gold Cup Double
Dublin Racing Festival fans, however, can breathe a sigh of relief as they will still get a chance to see the current Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite – Galopin Des Champs – in Saturday’s Irish Gold Cup as the Willie Mullins-trained 7 year-old remains the red-hot market leader @ 1/3 with BetUK.
Mullins Looks For Twelfth Irish Gold Cup Win
The powerful Willie Mullins team have an array of so-called bankers at the Dublin Racing Festival and their Irish Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs is arguably the ‘super-banker’ of the lot.
See how to back the Willie Mullins Dublin Racing Festival bankers here.
He’s won four of his five starts over fences, with his only blimp coming with a fall in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival last season. He’s since won at Fairyhouse and Punchestown and remains @ 6/5 to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup with BetUK prior to running on Saturday.
If successful, Galopin Des Champs will be the twelfth Irish Gold Cup winner for trainer Willie Mullins.
He first won the Leopardstown race in 1999 with Florida Pearl and having won the race three more times with that horse has gone onto win the prize a further seven times, with the most recent being Kemboy in 2021, who is also back for more this year.
If Kemboy does upset the favourite, he’ll be the first horse to win back his Irish Gold Cup crown since Beef Or Salmon who won the race three times between 2003-2007.
RELATED: 2023 Dublin Racing Festival: Willie Mullins Runners and Stable Stats For ALL 15 Races
Latest Irish Gold Cup Betting with BetUK
- Galopin Des Champs @ 1/3
- Stattler @ 7/2
- Kemboy @ 10/1
- Fury Road @ 14/1
- Any Second Now @ 20/1
- The Big Dog @ 25/1
- Franco De Port @ 33/1
2023 Dublin Racing Festival Racing Times and Schedule
Saturday 4th February
- 1:20 – Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors “50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff” Nov Hurdle (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m6f RTV
- 1:55 – Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo) 2m RTV
- 2:30 – Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m1f RTV
- 3:05 – Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) (5yo+) 3m RTV
- 3:40 – Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+ 0-150) 3m RTV
- 4:10 – Sandyford Handicap Chase (Grade B) (5yo+ 0-150) 2m1f RTV
- 4:40 – Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2) (4-7yo) 2m RTV
Sunday 5th February
- 1:10 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+) 2m1½f RTV
- 1:40 – Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m5f RTV
- 2:10 – Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m1f RTV
- 2:40 – Bulmers Handicap Chase (Grade A) (5yo+) 2m5f RTV
- 3:10 – Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) (4yo+) 2m RTV
- 3:40 – Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) (5yo+) 2m RTV
- 4:10 – Liffey Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) (4yo+ 0-150) 2m RTV
- 4:40 – Coolmore N.H. Sires “Santiago” Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2) (4-7yo) 2m RTV
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