2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup Tips - Is Townend on the wrong one at Fairyhouse?

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Sat 19 Apr 2025 09:51

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Jon Vine 19 Apr 2025

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Odds and predictions for the 2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup
This Grade One takes place at Fairyhouse on Sunday 18th April
Spindleberry is our best bet at 5/2

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Fairyhouse racecourse. (Getty)

The card at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday is headlined by the WillowWarm Gold Cup. This two-and-a-half mile Grade One for novice chasers was first staged back in 1960 and has been won by legends like Arkle, Captain Christy and Galopin Des Champs.

Here's our free guide to the WillowWarm Gold Cup, featuring our best betting tips.

2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup Odds

Name	Odds
Champ Kiely	15/8
Spindleberry	5/2
Ile Atlantique	5/1
Down Memory Lane	6/1
Firefox	16/1
Kilbarry Saint	80/1

2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup Runners

Even without the absent Ballyburn, Willie Mullins still has three strong contenders in this Grade One. Paul Townend has opted to ride Champ Kiely, and he's subsequently been backed into favouritism ahead of the mare Spindleberry.

Danny Mullins will partner with Spindleberry, who boasts course-winning form and will be getting weight from the geldings. Patrick Mullins jumps into the saddle of Ile Atlantique, who hasn't been seen since a fifth-place finish at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Gordon Elliott and Mark Walsh team up with Down Memory Lane, who impressed on his chasing debut but has been beaten in two Graded races since. Sam Ewing rides Firefox, who could only finish sixth as the favourite in the Jack Richards Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last time out. The sixth and final runner is another mare, Kilbarry Saint.

2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup Tips

Whatever Paul Townend rides will always go off as the favourite, but the backing for Champ Kiely has made SPINDLEBERRY (5/2) a more attractive betting proposition.

Willie Mullins' campaigned his mare lightly as a novice hurdler. Spindleberry went into the Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at this meeting on the back of a solid maiden victory here at Fairyhouse, and ran a super race to finish second to Jade De Grugy. Mullins' mare was then backed into favouritism for a Listed race at the Punchestown Festival, but got badly hampered early on and never looked comfortable on faster ground, but managed to place fifth.

Despite a few novicey jumps, Spindleberry ran down Majestic Force to score on her chasing debut at Cork. Mullins' seven-year-old wasn't fluent at her final two flights here in the Colreevy Mares' Novice Chase in February, but still brushed Bioluminescence aside to win that Listed contest by six lengths.

Fairyhouse is clearly a track that suits Spindleberry well and she won't be phased by the prospect of heavy ground on Sunday. Danny Mullins' mount is only rated eight pounds inferior to Champ Kiely and she'll be getting seven pounds from the geldings at the weights.

Live Stream

Visit our WillowWarm Gold Cup Live Stream page to watch any of Sunday's races from Fairyhouse via a mobile or tablet.

Verdict

2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup

Spindleberry is our selection in the 2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup.

Spindleberry

2025 WillowWarm Gold Cup

@5/2 - 5 Units

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