3m½f (3m100y) Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+)
Galopin Des Champs has been imperious his favourite course on heavy ground and the ten-year-old returns to defend his Irish Gold Cup. He got tired on his seasonal reappearance when he was defeated by the unexposed Affordale Fury and Grand National winner I Am Maximus and is not getting any younger.
The fact he is 6/4 here, but 6/1 to win the Gold Cup seems a bit odd to me with such limited confidence in his ability to claim another of the biggest prizes in jumps racing in March. The three mile plus chasing division is wide-open and whilst it would not be a shock to see him post his best performance of this campaign here, he is not a bomb-proof as he once was.
SPINDLEBERRY looks like she could romp the Mares Chase in March but she will be given a shot at the Gold Cup if she puts in a strong performance. She has a huge amount to find on ratings, but is in receipt of 7lbs on heavy ground and has gone from strength to strength winning five chases on the bounce. It’s possible she isn’t quite up to this standard, but heavy ground is always a leveller, she loves those conditions and it’s worth seeing how she gets on against the geldings having already put the likes of Champ Kiely and Firefox to the sword in her novice campaign.
1pt win Spindleberry @8/1, 15:30 Leopardstown, Monday
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