3.30 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m 70yd

Affordale Fury: Rewarded noticeable market support when taking advantage of race fitness and his favoured decent ground to cause a bit of an upset in the Savills Chase at Christmas. Every chance his key rivals have improved from that clash, so it’s likely that a reproduction of his last performance mightn’t be enough to deliver the goods again this time. Still, he’s not overly exposed as a chaser, with just seven runs to his name, so he could have progression in him.

Champ Kiely: Grade 1 novice chase winner at Punchestown last season hasn’t hit the same heights this term, though made a decent reappearance when second to Only By Night over two miles at Naas. Big bounce back required from what he showed at Tramore on New Year’s Day, though that looked too bad to be true.

Fact To File: Sparkling 2025 Ryanair Chase winner made a perfectly pleasing seasonal reappearance when only narrowly denied in the John Durkan by Gaelic Warrior, but didn’t kick on from that as hoped when sixth of eight in the King George at Kempton (beaten nine and three-quarter lengths). Nature of how the race was run mightn’t have seen him to best effect, but still needs to bounce back. Finished third in this race last year, off the back of a better Christmas effort in the Savills. Clearly dangerous to totally discount but might be one who is being trained to peak in March.

Firefox: Placed at Grade 1 level six times but yet to win at the top table, so hard to see why he’d do so here in such a ridiculously deep contest. Tongue-tie goes on for the first time.

Gaelic Warrior: Last four starts have been excellent efforts, winning Aintree Grade 1, Sandown Grade 2, the John Durkan and then beaten only two noses when third in a thrilling King George at Kempton. Some have made the case that he might well have even come out on top with a slight adjustment to tactics, and his rider did have a brief tangle with his whip in the closing stages. Has won going left-handed (including at this track in a handicap hurdle off an attractive 143) but the suspicion remains that he’s better racing at right-handed tracks, and he was beaten on his last three visits to Leopardstown over fences (admittedly over shorter than ideal the last twice, and he seemed to be out of sorts on the other occasion). Adds serious spice to an already epic encounter.

Galopin Des Champs: Chasing great bids to do what no other horse has done before by winning this race for a fourth consecutive year. Had won all seven of his starts over fences at Leopardstown before finishing third in the Savills Chase on his delayed seasonal return last month; running encouragingly against the backdrop that he was expected to improve plenty for the run. This looks a much deeper heat now, and connections have indicated that they are training him to fully peak for a retrieval mission in the Cheltenham Gold Cup this season. However, he’s a massively tough nut to crack around here and the standard he sets is a supreme one.

Grangeclare West: Often a double-figure price but tends to bring his best when visiting Leopardstown, having won a Grade 1 novice chase here and finished second to Galopin Des Champs in this race 12 months ago at 66/1. Last year’s Grand National third finished fourth in the Savills last time, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he exceeded the expectations of many again to threaten the frame, albeit he shouldn’t be getting any better at the age of 10.

I Am Maximus: Irish and Aintree Grand National hero posted the best Grade 1 performance of his career when second at 50/1 behind Affordale Fury in the Savills Chase last month, not getting a totally clear passage at the business end either. Runner-up in last year’s Grand National off lofty mark of 167 is a 10-year-old now, but he’s tended to improve as the year goes on, and if he can do similar here, he might be a lively each-way alternative. Interesting to note that Jack Kennedy takes the ride for the first time, having won the Cotswold Chase on the same owner’s Spillane’s Tower last weekend.

Inothewayurthinkin: Superb Cheltenham Gold Cup winner last season, but the obvious concern is that he hasn’t shown anything in his two starts to begin the current campaign. Yes, he was safely held in the previous season’s John Durkan and Savills too, but his Christmas effort in 2024 was much more encouraging than what he showed here last time. With the stable back among the winners, there’s every chance he could show more now, but a monumental turnaround is required to win this after such a quiet beginning to the season.

Lecky Watson: Last season’s 20/1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner was beaten 14 lengths when seventh in the Savills last time (raced closer to the inner than outer, which isn’t always advantageous around here). With a rating of 158, perhaps he looks more a Grand National candidate than being likely to upset his top stablemates here.

Monty’s Star: Much more like it from him when fifth in the Savills last time, having never landed a telling blow off top-weight in the Coral Gold Cup previously. The form of his novice chasing seconds in Grade 1 company behind Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower clearly read well now, and he should give a decent account, but it would be a surprise if he’s got enough in his locker to take down the big guns.

Stellar Story: It proves just how deep this race is that a horse of this nine-year-old’s calibre is the 66/1 outsider of the field. Ran better than the bare result suggests when eighth after racing down the inner in the Savills last time, knuckling on landing after the fourth last too. All the rain is bound to help this heavy-ground Albert Bartlett winner. Whether he has the class to play a leading role remains to be seen, but he does look overpriced.

Spindleberry: Thoroughly likeable mare, who has won all five of her starts over fences, including a Grade 1 against the boys at Fairyhouse last season. Shaped as though she’d be worth a try over further when winning a listed mares’ chase over an extended two and a half miles at Doncaster during Christmas. This is her biggest test by a long way, so she’ll need to find considerable improvement but she is open to progress.

Conclusion

A remarkable field assembled for a race that will rival the Cheltenham Gold Cup for quality. While it’s extremely difficult to get away from Galopin Des Champs at his beloved Leopardstown, it remains a possibility that he could come here a little level below his usual dominant self in this race, after a delayed start to the season due to a setback, and with connections training him more for March (being a 10-year-old now).

He might still be the most likely winner as one of the greatest chasers of the modern era, but, at the prices, I Am Maximus looks too big at 14/1 - and the booking of Jack Kennedy indicates connections mean business. He had Galopin Des Champs behind last time, may well have similar improvement to come from that outing and has two massive Grand National performances that prove he can run to major figures. He makes more each-way appeal than supporting the favourite win-only at much shorter odds.

Gaelic Warrior has obvious potential to be a fly in the ointment, if running to his maximum left-handed around here, Fact To File is clearly better than he showed last time, while the likes of Grangeclare West and Stellar Story could run a lot better than the early market is anticipating.