Djakadam© Photo Healy Racing
Leopardstown Racecourse today announced the entries for Irish Gold Cup Day, the only raceday in Ireland to host four Grade 1 races, on Saturday, February 6th.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins is responsible for seven of the 17 entries for the €150,000 Irish Gold Cup, including Djakadam who was so impressive when winning the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in December. Mullins has won the race on nine previous occasions and he has also entered his narrow Grade 1 Lexus Chase winner Don Poli and Sir Des Champs who gave the Closutton trainer his most recent success in 2013.
Gordon Elliott has put both Don Cossack and stable favourite Roi Du Mee in the three mile contest and another with two entries is Noel Meade who could be represented by Road To Riches and Wounded Warrior
Carlingford Lough landed the spoils under Tony McCoy last year and John Kiely's star is engaged once again as is the Ted Walsh-trained Foxrock who finished runner-up in the most recent renewal. Paul Nicholls, who was the successful rider on the David Barons-trained Playschool in 1988 and then trained Neptune Collonges to win in 2009, has entered the seven-time winner Virak and other notable entries include Enda Bolger's Gilgamboa and the Mouse Morris-trained First Lieutenant, runner-up to Don Poli at Leopardstown last month.
Gain Horse Feeds were announced as Leopardstown Racecourse's newest sponsors yesterday and 12 horses have been entered for the first running of the Grade 1 Gain Spring Juvenile Hurdle. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Ivanovich Gorbatov leads the way after his impressive win on his hurdling debut at the Leopardstown Christmas festival. Let's Dance chased him home that day and she is one of five entries from the Willie Mullins stable. The Mullins-trained Apple's Jade edged out Gavin Cromwell’s Jer's Girl to win a thrilling Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas festival and a clash between the pair is on the cards again.
Given recent results, it comes as no surprise that Willie Mullins dominates the entries for the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle. Of the 21 horses entered, Mullins is responsible for 13 including Grade 1 winners Bellshill and Long Dog. Mullins has also given himself the option of running the hugely exciting Min and the unbeaten Myska and Yorkhill are also entered in the €90,000 event. Other notable entries include the Gordon Elliott-trained Tombstone, Henry de Bromhead's course winner Supasundae and Disko from the Noel Meade-yard.
No More Heroes, the brilliant winner of the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at the course at Christmas and one of three horses Gordon Elliott has entered for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, features highly among the 22 entries for the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase. Elliott has also entered Free Expression in the race but numerically, his team is eclipsed by that of Willie Mullins who has nominated 13 horses for the €85,000 event. Douvan, Killultagh Vic, Outlander, Pont Alexandre and Shaneshill have all been entered by the champion trainer while the Andy Lynch-trained Zabana and Venetia Williams' Otago Trail, a runaway winner at Cheltenham on Saturday, are two other exciting entries.
Pat Keogh, Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, said, "Leopardstown is proud to host Irish Gold Cup Day — unique in that it is only race day in Ireland with four Grade 1 races on all the one day. The standard of racing that we are offering at this time of year is quite brilliant. Beginning with the Coral Handicap Hurdle Day this Sunday and the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle Day on Sunday, 24th January, Irish Gold Cup Day on Saturday, February 6th certainly completes a remarkable hat-trick of top-class meetings on our own doorstep."
