The Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon, Willie Mullins’ hero of 12 months ago Kemboy and Henry de Bromhead’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo head a field of eight for the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Mullins has also declared Asterion Forlonge, Cilaos Emery and Janidil as he bids to win the race for the 12th time while Gordon Elliott has two contenders, his 2020 Irish Gold Cup winner Delta Work and Conflated.
The first of Saturday’s races is the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors “€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff” Novice Hurdle and eight runners will line up with de Bromhead’s Grand Jury, the Elliott-trained Hollow Games and the Willie Mullins’ Whatdeawant chief among them.
Nine runners go to post for the Grade 1 Racing TV ‘€12 Per Month This Weekend Only’ Spring Juvenile Hurdle with Willie Mullins’ Vauban taking on Fil Dor, unbeaten in three jumping starts for the Gordon Elliott stable.
Willie Mullins has a team of three, all unbeaten over fences, for the Grade 1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase with Blue Lord set to be joined by Haut En Couleurs and Saint Sam with the Elliott-trained Riviere D’etel heading the opposition.
The Paddy Power-backed three-mile handicap hurdle has a field of 24 runners with Leopardstown Christmas Festival winners Priory Park, Good Time Jonny and Panda Boy, trained by Edward O'Grady, Tony Martin and Martin Brassil respectively, and the Oliver McKiernan-trained Unexpected Depth, last year’s runner-up, four of note while the two-mile and one furlong handicap chase, also sponsored by Paddy Power, sees the Joseph O'Brien-trained A Wave Of The See, winner of the race 12 months ago, up against the John Ryan-trained Grange Walk and Jessica Harrington’s Exit Poll, first and second over the course and distance last month.
There is plenty to like about the concluding Grade 2 Goffs Future Stars INH Flat Race where Peter Fahey’s The Big Doyen and the Paul Nolan-trained Sandor Clegane head the opposition to Willie Mullins’ pair, Facile Vega and Embassy Gardens. Also among the seven contenders is the Gordon Elliott-trained Itswhatunitesus.
