Galopin Des Champs wins Irish Gold Cup for Mullins

Galopin Des Champs impressively won the Irish Gold Cup to complete a Grade One clean sweep for Willie Mullins on day one at the Dublin Racing Festival.

After winning last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champions had twice been beaten by Fastorslow.

But Paul Townend rode the 1-3 favourite to a four-and-a-half-length win as Fastorslow was second with another Mullins horse I Am Maximus in third.

Mullins' nephew Danny earlier clinched three Grade One wins for the trainer.

The trainer's number one jockey Townend had plumped for the wrong horse three times as he was second behind Danny Mullins in the Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle and Spring Novice Hurdle as 16-1 shot Dancing City and 7-2 priced filly Kargese took the victories.

Il Etait Temps then completed Danny Mullins' dream hour at Leopardstown by edging out the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty by a neck to win the Irish Arkle Novice Chase as Townend's Facile Vega was three lengths back in third.

But Townend regrouped to land the big one on day one of the festival as last year's Cheltenham hero Galopin Des Champs made it back-to-back Irish Gold Cup triumphs.

Townend set a sedate pace as Fastorslow took close order as he aimed for a third successive victory over Mullins' star following triumphs at the Punchestown Gold Cup last April and John Durkan Chase in November.

However, Galopin Des Champs followed that latter reverse by producing a sensational 23-length win in the Savills Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival which meant that he went into Saturday's race as the the 1-3 favourite

JJ Slevin, on Fastorslow, attempted to make his move after the second-last but was unable to get past Galopin Des Champs as it soon became a two-way battle after 2022 race winner Conflated unseated Jack Kennedy at the final fence.

The most impressive part of Galopin Des Champs' victory was still to come as over he put over four length on Fastorslow on the run-in to suggest that last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is well placed to clinch another success at Prestbury Park.

In the Irish Arkle Novice Chase, Marine Nationale, the previously unbeaten 4-7 favourite who earned a hugely impressive win in last year's Supreme Novice's Hurdle at Cheltenham, produced a ragged jumping performance with a bad mistake at the last sealing his fate as it became a two-horse race between the two top Irish trainers.

On a thrilling run-in, Gordon Elliott's 10-1 shot Found A Fifty, with Kennedy on board, looked like he was going to hold on but the champion trainer's 6-1 hopeful Il Etait Temps produced a last-ditch rally to complete Danny Mullins' remarkable Grade One treble.

Mullins' sensational day began with him riding his uncle's 16-1 shot Dancing City to a one-and-a-quarter length victory over stablemate and favourite Predators Gold in the opening Grade One Novice Hurdle.

Rachael Blackmore led up until shortly before the last fence on Jetara but a lost left stirrup hindered her progress as Dancing City jumped clear and held on despite Townend launching a late run on Predators Gold.

Jockey Mullins was back in the winner's enclosure some 30 minutes later after the Spring Juvenile Hurdle as his 7-2 priced filly Kargese clinched another a second-string success for the Irish champion trainer.

Mullins' number one jockey Townend, once more, was just over a length back in second on 9-4 favourite Storm Heart as the trainer saddled the first four over the line.

Majborough was a further half a length back in third with Bunting completing the Mullins' domination by finishing a close fourth in a race which is regarded as a trial for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.