Dublin Racing Festival 2026: Irish Gold Cup race analysis and preview 

2026 is well underway and to round off January, Leopardstown racecourse stages another one of its premier meetings – the Dublin Racing Festival. 

Eight Grade One races headline the two-day event, due to take place across Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1. 

Highlight races include the Irish Champion Hurdle and Dublin Chase, as well as the PaddyPower Irish Gold Cup. 

The latter will see horses embark on three miles of County Dublin and jump 17 scheduled fences.

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Four-timer

Champion trainer Willie Mullins has won this race more than any other trainer (14) and is looking to win his fourth in a row – his fifth from the last six runnings. 

The market has given his Galopin Des Champs clear recognition, as he lines up as the 5/4 favourite. 

He has won this race in each of the last three years and is looking for the four-timer before heading to the Cheltenham Festival in March. 

Mullins believes his horse came out of defeat in the Savills Chase – on his seasonal reappearance – well, as he bids to challenge for this race, as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

The 10-year-old gelding missed out on the chance for three consecutive wins in that aforementioned race last year, when trainer Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin sprung a 15/2 surprise. 

It was one of five runs last season, with two draws and two victories making up the other four results. 

Renewing rivalries

Inothewayurthinkin is due to line up in this race too, renewing his rivalry with the Mullins-trained horse. 

The market has him priced alongside Fact To File, who, whilst trained by Mullins, will run in the same JP McManus silks; they are both 8/1. 

Inothewayurthinkin finished fifth on his seasonal return, in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, behind both his Mullins-trained ownermate and 2024 Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior. 

The latter is also trained by Mullins and placed third in a thrilling renewal of the King George VI at Kempton, on his latest outing. 

He is out at 16/1 for this race, along with his 2024 Grand National-winning stablemate, I am Maximus. 

Fact To File was back in sixth at Kempton, following his comeback run, which saw him finish second at Punchestown, once again behind Gaelic Warrior. 

Last season’s Ryanair winner saw Cheltenham provide him with his second victory of the campaign, with the other coming in the John Durkan, when he defeated Galopin Des Champs. 

Galopin Des Champs did beat him in both subsequent races, including in this race last season. 

Abundance of talent

Affordale Fury is closest to Galopin Des Champs in the betting and priced at 6/1; he is given a chance for trainer Noel Meade. 

He had all three of Galopin Des Champs, Inothewayurthinkin and I Am Maximus behind when winning on his latest start, in late December. 

It was his third run of the season, following his win in a Listed Chase at Thurles and a second-placed effort at Down Royal – finishing behind Envoi Allen. 

That latter mentioned run was the latest of three consecutive second-placed finishes, stretching back to his final two outings last season. 

Force to be reckoned with

Trainer Rebecca Curtis’ stable star Haiti Couleurs is still entered into this race and, whilst he flopped on his Grade One debut, has an abundance of talent. 

Last year’s Irish Grand National winner established himself as a force to be reckoned with in high-class staying Handicaps last year. 

Though he was pulled up behind Grey Dawning in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, he bounced back to win the Welsh Grand National comfortably on his latest start. 

Eight-year-old mare Spindleberry remains unbeaten over fences, having won her only Grade One chase. 

She has won all five of her steeplechase starts, two of which came this season – in Listed contests for mares. 

At 10/1, she is the only other horse the market gives a chance to, with the rest of the entries priced at 20/1 or bigger. 

READ MORE: Dublin Racing Festival 2026: Dublin Chase race analysis and preview