The rematch between Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File is set to be one of the highlights of this weekend’s ticket-only Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, with both horses standing their ground for Saturday’s Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.
It was Fact To File who came out on top when these two met in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in November, but Galopin Des Champs reversed places with his stable companion – both horses are trained by Willie Mullins – in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.
In so doing, Galopin Des Champs became the first horse since Beef Or Salmon (2004-05) to land back-to-back renewals of the Savills Chase, and on Saturday, Audrey Turley’s horse will bid to become the first horse since Florida Pearl (1999-2001) to complete a hat-trick of victories in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.
He is a very special horse, on target as well for a third Cheltenham Golf Cup in March and his star appeal is drawing the crowds.
“Ticket sales are going really well for both days,” Horse Racing Ireland Racecourses CEO Paul Dermod told Sport for Business yesterday.
“We’ve seen a really strong pick-up post Christmas which could be attributed to the really strong attendances over the four days last month.”
“The value proposition of this Festival has been one of its biggest selling points – that and the eight Grade Ones! That value was particularly attractive to the UK racegoers and resulted in 37% of advance sales going to the UK for the Dublin Racing Festival in 2024.
“We expect to see slightly less travelling racegoers from the UK this year given the cost of accommodation and flights due to the clash with the England and Ireland at the Aviva, but Galopin Des Champs is proving a real star attraction for all racing fans.”
Willie Mullins is responsible for four of the six remaining entries in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle, with Lossiemouth and State Man dominating the market.
An impressive winner of the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in early December on her seasonal debut, Lossiemouth finished second behind Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton last time. Dual Irish Champion Hurdle winner State Man was also beaten on his most recent run, finishing third behind Brighterdaysahead and Winter Fog in the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.
There are eight Grade 1 races spread across the two days of the Dublin Racing Festival.
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
The Dublin Racing Festival has become an essential part of the Jump Racing winter and this year’s line up is a star studded affair. It allows us to get closer to the horses that will be centre stage at Cheltenham in March in a concentrated fashion that was never possible before the Festival was created.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The action takes place at Leopardstown on Saturday and Sunday. It will be televised live on RTÉ and some tickets are still available.
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