Confirmed runners and riders for day one of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown

Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs will take on six rivals when he tackles three miles over fences for the first time in Saturday's Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.05), with his trainer Willie Mullins responsible for over half of the declarations in the Grade 1s on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.

Galopin Des Champs is yet to be defeated when completing over fences and recorded his fourth chase success in the John Durkan at Punchestown in December. The 5-4 Gold Cup favourite will be joined by stablemates Kemboy, who won the race in 2021, Stattler and Franco De Port. Gordon Elliott's Fury Road, a Grade 1 winner over course and distance as a novice, last year's Grand National runner-up Any Second Now and Troytown winner The Big Dog complete the line-up.

Seventeen of the 32 horses entered in the four top-level contests on Saturday are trained by Mullins, with only one of Appreciate It, Dysart Dynamo and El Fabiolo set to retain their unbeaten records over fences in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.30), in which the trainer also saddles Flame Bearer and Saint Roi. Fil Dor will attempt to reverse the form with the latter while Cheltenham Grade 2 winner Banbridge drops back in trip after his third-placed effort in the Drinmore last time out.

Ascending and Darraby are the only non-Mullins-trained four-year-olds lining up in the Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle (1.55), with Triumph Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth odds-on to make it four from four over hurdles against Blood Destiny, Gala Marceau, Gust Of Wind, Tekao, Cinsa and Jourdefete.

The Mullins Grade 1 squad is completed by Grangeclare West and Quais De Paris in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (1.20), in which Good Land leads the market for Barry Connell. Weveallbeencaught, who beat subsequent Grade 2 winner Rock My Way at Cheltenham last time, is a rare British challenger for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

There is also Irish Grade 1 interest in Britain on Saturday as Elliott sends his unbeaten chaser Gerri Colombe to contest the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (2.20) at Sandown. The Robcour-owned seven-year-old will be ridden by Jordan Gainford as he attempts to follow up his Faugheen Novice Chase success at Limerick on Boxing Day.

Standing in the way of Gerri Colombe's back-to-back Grade 1 bid are Monmiral and Thunder Rock, who chased home The Real Whacker in the Dipper on New Year's Day, while Nicky Henderson's Balco Coastal and Bowtogreatness both step up from handicap company.

Irish Gold Cup runners and riders

Any Second Now Mark Walsh
Franco De Port Danny Mullins
Fury Road Davy Russell
Galopin Des Champs Paul Townend
Kemboy Rachael Blackmore
Stattler Patrick Mullins
The Big Dog Keith Donoghue

Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.05 Leopardstown, Saturday)

Paddy Power: 1-3 Galopin Des Champs, 9-2 Stattler, 12 Kemboy, 20 Fury Road, The Big Dog, 33 Any Second Now, 50 Franco De Port

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