2024 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup: runner-by-runner guide and tip

Chris Wilson shares his verdict on the four contenders in Saturday's Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, the feature contest on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival, live on Racing TV this weekend. The Grade One showpiece is due off at 3.35pm.

General odds: 10-1.

Dual Grade One winner over this course and distance but has rather gone into a tailspin since finishing third in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last March. Ultra-capable on his day, but those days are now few and far between.

General odds: 11-4.

Twice finished ahead of Galopin Des Champs this season and is unquestionably still on the march. A sustained spell of dry weather will strengthen his claims, but he has, curiously, never yet performed to his best at Leopardstown and will renew rivalry with a far fitter Closutton leviathan than in the autumn.

General odds: 1-2.

Those that had written him off must now feel a touch foolish. It’s taken a while this season, but, boy, has been it been worth it. His Savills Chase victory against high-class rivals was almost a once-in-a-generation performance, so stunning it was. If he reaches anywhere near that level, his rivals are toast.

General odds: 33-1.

Impressive, if rather surprising, winner of the Drinmore but was stuffed out of sight by Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase. Unless something seriously odd happens, it’s hard to see that form being reversed.

Much will depend upon whether or not Fastorslow has taken another step forward from the John Durkan. If he has, and the ground continues to dry out, Martin Brassil’s horse of a lifetime has the scope to make things interesting. 

But surely not interesting enough for GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, who is a different beast compared to the horse that twice laboured behind Fastorslow earlier in the season. He was, frankly, jaw-dropping in the Savills Chase – with Paul Townend’s ultra-positive tactics yielding such handsome dividends. 

Expect a similar approach and the same outcome in the Leopardstown feature on Saturday.