Sunday's at the Dublin Racing Festival features four top-level races. The Grade One feature is undoubtedly the Irish Gold Cup, a staying chase which has been won by legends like Jodami, Florida Pearl, Beef or Salmon and Carlingford Lough.
2023 Irish Gold Cup Odds
Name
Odds
Galopin Des Champs
4/11
Stattler
9/2
Conflated
8/1
Kemboy
11/1
Fury Road
12/1
Envoi Allen
12/1
Bar
16/1
*Odds taken on 24/1/23*
2023 Irish Gold Cup Tips
Once the final field has been confirmed, we'll publish our guide to the 2023 Irish Gold Cup.
2022 Irish Gold Cup Result
Position
Name
SP
1st
Conflated
18/1
2nd
Minella Indo
11/2
3rd
Janidil
7/1
2023 Irish Gold Cup Entries
Galopin Des Champs' road to the Cheltenham Gold Cup started at Punchestown, where Willie Mullins' star thrashed Fakir D'Oudairies in the John Durkan Memorial Chase. The favourite settled nicely under Paul Townend that day and looked more than ready for the step up to three miles. 4/11 seems like a fair enough price.
Willie Mullins has also entered up Stattler, who was narrowly beaten by Minella Indo on his return to action at Thurles on New Year's Day. Former winner, Kemboy could also run for Ireland's Champion Trainer, along with Cheltenham Gold Cup entrants Franco De Port and Royal Rendezvous.
Conflated could return to defend his crown, having collected his second Grade One victory in the Savills Chase here over Christmas. Fury Road is another possible runner for Gordon Elliott, with Envoi Allen likely to represent Henry De Bromhead and Cheveley Park.
Grand National bound Any Second Now and The Big Dog round off the entries for the main event on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival.
Irish Gold Cup Day Card
Time
Title
12:55pm
Mares' Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)
2m2f
1:25pm
Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
1:55pm
Chanelle Pharma Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
2:30pm
William Fry Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) 3m
3:00pm
Flogas Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m5f
3:30pm
Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m
4:00pm
Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Grade A) 2m5f
4:35pm
Mare's Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m
Irish Gold Cup History
The Irish Gold Cup was created in 1987, and originally the race was dedicated to Vincent O'Brien.
A couple of British trainers enjoyed early success in the Irish Gold Cup. Paul Nicholls rode Playschool to victory for David Barons, before Martin Pipe's Carvill's Hill scored four years later in 1992.
Peter Beaumont's Jodami then won the Irish Gold Cup for the first time in 1993. Jodami would complete a hat-trick during the two subsequent seasons, while also winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1993.
After wins for Dorans Pride and Danoli, Florida Pearl emulated Jodami by winning the Irish Gold Cup three years on the bounce between 1999 and 2001. Willie Mullins' star would then win a fourth Irish Gold Cup as a 12-year-old in 2004.
Beef or Salmon, who's regarded by many as the best chaser never to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, won the first of his three Irish Gold Cups in 2003. Michael Hourigan's star would later secure back-to-back wins in 2006 and '07.
Carlingford Lough won the Irish Gold Cup twice in 2015 and '16. Jessica Harrington's Sizing John triumphed at Leopardstown in 2017, before following up at the Cheltenham Festival.
Edwulf then secured a stunning victory in 2018, having been brought out of retirement just months earlier. Bellshill then won a four-runner event in 2019, before Delta Work saw off Kemboy and Presenting Percy to hand Gordon Elliott his first Irish Gold Cup win.
