Willie Mullins hails ‘horse of a lifetime' Galopin Des Champs after Punchestown Gold Cup romp
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS stamped his class on the Punchestown Gold Cup with a dominant all-the-way win.
Willie Mullins' superstar had been beaten in this race for the last two years - but it was third time lucky as he broke his jinx in style.
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He jumped with speed and accuracy throughout, drawing mistakes out of Spillane's Tower and Banbridge as he turned the screw on the front-end.
In fact, the only moment's worry came when he had a little look and a jink at a road crossing as he headed out on the second circuit.
As soon as jockey Paul Townend asked him to put the race to bed, he stretched right away to win by 22 lengths, banishing the memory of his Cheltenham Gold Cup defeat last month.
There was a tremendous atmosphere on track as he was led back into a raucous winners' enclosure by a bagpipe player and greeted by his very happy trainer.
Mullins said: "We all have the horse of a lifetime. He's phenomenal and Paul showed him off today.
"He was asking him for every jump and the horse responded every time, he was loving it.
"To win a race like that, beating that opposition by 22 lengths, I thought was spectacular.
"I thought some of his performances in Leopardstown were spectacular and in Cheltenham, but that was a hell of a performance to do what he did there.
"I was worried about the ground but they had put a lot of water on it. They always make a tremendous effort here in Punchestown, that's why we always keep our best horses for Punchestown."
He was cut into 5-1 from 7-1 for next year's Gold Cup, and Willie said all roads will lead back there next March.
Mullins added: "Cheltenham is Cheltenham and we were beaten. Horses get beaten but he has come back and proved that he's a real good horse and there's always next year. He's still young enough to go have another go and we're happy to be here today."
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