Irish Gold Cup 2026 Preview: 'Galopin Des Champs Eyes Historic Fourth Win' There’s plenty to look forward to at the Dublin Racing Festival, as we have a feast of Grade 1 races to enjoy over the course of the weekend. We have four taking place on Saturday’s card and the highlight is the Irish Gold Cup, which takes place at 15:30. The three-mile-and-a-half-a-furlong contest has an illustrious roll of honour, and that includes three-time winner Galopin Des Champs, who will be attempting to make it four. A field of 13 has been declared and eight of the runners hail from the Willie Mullins yard, although the likes of Noel Meade and Gavin Cromwell won’t go down without a fight. Our expert has previewed the big race and picked out a best bet and an outsider to follow. Mullins mob dominates field of 13 Willie Mullins has targeted this race big time and it can be hard for him to find enough races for his stable full of stars. He runs no fewer than eight in the race, each with varying chances. A couple of them are potentially warming up for an Aintree bid, whilst Cheltenham is on the agenda for others. Galopin Des Champs ran a nice race to finish third in the Savills Chase on seasonal debut and is likely to improve plenty for it. Bidding for the four-timer now, another bold bid is anticipated. Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File both ran in the King George and the former performed with more credit. Progressive types and veteran threats The progressive Spindleberry has a solid each-way chance, as it’s entirely possible that we haven’t seen the best of her yet. I Am Maximus isn’t out of it on the form of his latest effort, but Grangeclare West, Champ Kiely and Lecky Watson are probably best watched. Noel Meade’s Affordale Fury is certainly going the right way and Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin is also in the line-up. Gordon Elliott’s runners Stellar Story and Firefox are both outsiders with a bit to find and Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star is easy to oppose. Recent trends suggest that Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott will train the winner, with the pair winning each of the last seven renewals between them. The former has the upper hand this year, training the first three horses in the betting. Only one 10-year-old has won it in the last decade, so perhaps the mighty Galopin Des Champs is worth taking on! That being said, the three-time winner is a trend in his own right. Trends: Youth vs. Experience GAELIC WARRIOR has developed into a proper Grade 1 staying chaser and he produced a career-best performance to win the Bowl at Aintree in April. He was also victorious on his seasonal debut in the John Durkan, and he looks like a serious contender here. Mullins’s gelding was only narrowly denied when third in the King George and more aggressive tactics might have resulted in victory that day. Galopin Des Champs will be a tough nut to crack, but Gaelic Warrior is two years younger and fresher legs could make the difference. Maximus can go close Willie Mullins’ I AM MAXIMUS won the Grand National two seasons ago and is more than capable of making his presence felt. He produced a cracking effort to finish second in the Savills Chase last time out and it would be unwise to rule out another big run with that in mind.
