The top two in the betting for next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup will face each other for the third time in less than 12 months in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday, and while Fastorslow will go into their latest head-to-head two-nil up on Galopin Des Champs (3.35), Willie Mullins’s chaser will be a strong favourite to get one back ahead after an emphatic return to winning form at the track’s Christmas Festival.
Galopin Des Champs, who won Saturday’s race 12 months ago before following up at Cheltenham, is a 2-5 chance in the early betting, with Fastorslow available at 3-1 to make it three in a row against last year’s Gold Cup winner.
There has been no sense of fluke about either of Fastorslow’s defeats of Galopin Des Champs, at Punchestown in April and November last year, but at the same time, Mullins’s stable star was clearly some way short of his Festival-winning level in both. That impression was confirmed when he rediscovered something close to his best form in the Savills Chase in December, posting a wide-margin win that was backed up by the clock.
Galopin Des Champs was cut from 5-2 to around 5-4 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after that success and a similarly dominant performance on Saturday could see him shorten to odds-on for the feature event at the Festival next month.
The Irish Gold Cup is one of just two races from the opening afternoon of the Dublin Racing Festival that ITV has managed to squeeze into its coverage and the first, at 3.00, is a 24-runner handicap hurdle.
As a result, terrestrial viewers will miss out on live coverage of three Grade One events, including the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at 2.25 when the unbeaten Marine Nationale, favourite for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, will renew rivalry with Facile Vega, who was less than four lengths behind him when second in the Supreme Novice Hurdle last March.
Sandown 1.25 Two handicap debutants from leading yards head the betting here, with Paul Nicholls’s Onethreefivenotout marginally preferred as the return to two and a half miles seems sure to suit.
Musselburgh 1.40 The return to this track, where he won two novice events over hurdles, is a plus for the consistent General Officer, who went a long way clear with a useful opponent when second at Aintree last time.
Sandown 2.00 With question marks over several at shorter prices, Sacre Coeur could be worth an interest at around 7-1. Dan Skelton’s mare drops back to handicap company after a decent run in a Listed event and Tristan Durrell takes off a handy 3lb.
Musselburgh 2.15 Brandy McQueen did not build on a very promising return to action at Kelso in October but he has been given a 50-day break since his last outing, is unexposed at marathon trips and could well outrun odds of around 20-1.
Sandown 2.35 Venetia Williams took this Grade One for novice chasers with L’Homme Presse two years ago and Djelo, who had no luck at all last time, has strong claims on his earlier winning form at Ascot.
Musselburgh 2.50 Caithness needs to be forgiven a below-par run last time but the risk is reflected in odds of around 12-1 and his earlier form is solid.
Sandown 12.50 The Good Doctor 1.25 Onethreefivenotout 2.00 Sacre Coeur 2.35 Djelo 3.10 Scamallach Liath (nap) 3.45 Full Back 4.20 San Frandisco
Wetherby 1.00 Strong Belle 1.32 Hunter Legend 2.07 To Chase A Dream 2.42 The Four Sixes 3.17 Robins Field 3.50 Fairly Famous 4.25 Brother Boris
Musselburgh 1.40 General Officer 2.15 Brandy McQueen (nb) 2.50 Caithness 3.25 Florida Dreams 4.00 Readysteadybeau 4.35 Restandbethankful
Wolverhampton 3.55 Beauzon 4.30 Golden Keeper 5.00 Divine Breath 5.30 Montecristo Gold 6.00 Storm Catcher 6.30 Ocean Ridge 7.00 Harriet’s Angel
Kempton 4.45 Got No Dollars 5.15 Mon Etoile 5.45 Belcamo 6.15 Volkan Bey 6.45 Revolutionise 7.15 Graphite 7.45 Zola Power 8.15 Clipsham Gold
Leopardstown 3.00 Few in the 24-strong field can be ruled out entirely but useful chaser Panda Boy reverts to hurdling on an attractive mark.
Sandown 3.10 Harry Derham’s Scamallach Liath is a useful staying hurdler in the making and could still have some leeway from his current mark.
Sandown 3.45 At around 16-1, the lightly raced nine-year-old Full Back is an interesting each-way bet to further enhance Gary Moore’s excellent record at Sandown.
