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Galopin Des Champs, Honeysuckle, State Man, Mighty Potter, Facile Vega and Lossiemouth are just some of the big names set to star in eight Grade 1 races at this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
The outstanding staying chaser, Galopin Des Champs, trained by Willie Mullins, heads the seven horses remaining in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Gold Cup, which again features on the opening afternoon on Saturday.
The champion trainer has also left 2021 winner Kemboy in the race along with Stattler and Franco De Port. Gordon Elliott looks set to rely on Fury Road while Ted Walsh has Any Second Now with The Big Dog a possible runner for Peter Fahey.
Nine horses go forward for the first of the weekend’s Grade 1 races, the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors ‘€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff’ Novice Hurdle. Leading the way are the Barry Connell-trained Good Land, a winner at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, and Paul Nolan’s Sandor Clegane. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Weveallbeencaught will be trying to build on his Cheltenham win on New Year's Day while Willie Mullins is left with both Grangeclare West and Quais De Paris with Gordon Elliott still represented by American Mike and Absolute Notions.
There are also nine horses remaining in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle with leading four-year-olds Lossiemouth and Blood Destiny among a Willie Mullins sextet while among the eight horses standing their ground for the Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase are the Mullins-trained Dysart Dynamo and El Fabiolo, Joseph O'Brien’s Banbridge and the Gordon Elliott-trained Fil Dor.
Topping the bill on Sunday is the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle seeking a fourth straight win in the race, a feat only achieved by Istabraq and Hurricane Fly in the past, for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.
She has five possible opponents, with the Willie Mullins-trained State Man and Vauban, first and second in the Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, looking to be the biggest threats. Gordon Elliott has left in both Zanahiyr and Pied Piper with the Tom Mullins-trained Takarengo making up the field.
Among the 13 horses heading for the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase are the Gordon Elliott-trained Mighty Potter, Mullins’ Gaillard Du Mesnil and James Du Berlais, and the Jonathan Sweeney-trained Churchstonewarrior.
The Willie Mullins-trained Blue Lord and Gentleman De Mee, Alan King’s Sceau Royal, the Pat Fahy-trained Dunvegan and Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow are the five remaining in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase while the leading first-season hurdler Facile Vega, Joseph O'Brien’s High Definition and the Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps are among the nine horses in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle.
The ground at Leopardstown was described on Tuesday morning as yielding to soft on the hurdles course, and yielding on the chase track. There is no rain forecast to fall for the rest of the week and officials are expected to water the track to ensure it remains safe.
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