"Awesome" Galopin Des Champs shines on scorching afternoon at Punchestown

Irish Daily Mirror

30-04-2025

A magnificent Galopin Des Champs sparkled in the glorious sunshine on a red hot afternoon of action at Punchestown on Wednesday.
The Willie Mullins' trained gelding produced one of his career best performances to demolish his three rivals by 22 lengths in yesterday's featured €300,000 Ladbrokes Gold Cup.
Just seven weeks after his bid for Gold Cup immortality at Cheltenham came up short, the Paul Townend partnered nine-year-old was back to his brilliant best - with the second day crowd of 23,285 loving every moment of it.
Scenes not witnessed in many years at this 200 year old venue greeted Galopin on his return to the winners' enclosure as ecstatic punters rushed to welcome a horse who can now be called a modern day great.
His Gold Cup win came on a sensational sun-kissed afternoon for the all-conquering 69-year-old Mullins, who won all three Grade 1 races, and finished the afternoon with five winners in total.
On a day when not even the ice cream sellers could outdo Mullins in profit, Galopin Des Champs made it third time lucky at this Festival, having gone down to arch nemesis Fastorslow in the past two seasons.
Sent to the front from the start by Townend, the well supported 5-6 favourite jumped his rivals into submission with a flawless display and by the time they turned for home the race was put to bed, with Spillane's Tower sticking on to be a distance second.
Afterwards he was taken on a victory lap of the parade ring by groom Adam Connolly to a raptorious applause as racegoers realised they'd witnessed something very special.
Mullins is running out of superlatives for his stable star and on another magical day for his Closutton yard he said: "He was back to best. His jumping was fantastic, at his ease, and Paul was just full of confidence. To win that race by 22-lengths is awesome.
In March Galopin Des Champs came agonisingly close to making history with a third Gold Cup win in succession, only for Inothewayurthinkin to spoil the party, but Mullins felt yesterday that we saw the real Galopin.
"Paul said he wasn't taking no for an answer at any stage, he was going to put them to the sword and he did. I thought he was more at home today. I was a little bit worried about the heat and the weather, I'd imagine the other trainers were too.
"You could see from the start he was enjoying himself, there was a spark in him from jumping off. He's a very good horse, he has to be one of the best chasers we've ever had.'
The temptation for Mullins to give this Festival a swerve after such a huge effort at Cheltenham was there but the soon to be 19-time champion trainer has always been adamant that the good horses need to be seen at these festivals.
"Good horses deserve to run in good races and good races deserve to have the good horses as do big meetings like Punchestown, there are none bigger at this stage of the season.
"Cheltenham was Cheltenham and we were beaten but horses get beaten. At least he's come back and proved that he's a real good horse.
Mullins hasn't ruled out another Gold Cup bid in 2026 with Paddy Power cutting Galopin Des Champs to 5-1 (from 7) for next season's chasing showpiece.
"There is always next year and he's only nine coming ten. He's still young enough to go and have another go but we're talking about today, not last month, and we're happy to be here today.
"We're happy that the horse has come home from Cheltenham and done this. A lot of people don't bring their horses back from Cheltenham but I think 'let's have a crack' as it's good racing and good for the sport."
Townend, who had earlier won the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle on Jasmin De Vaux (9/4f), said: "He's special and we're fortunate to have him. We were disappointed coming away from Cheltenham, but the reception he gets is special and he's a unique horse.
"He got into a good rhythm and he enjoyed it. He was taking me from fence to fence whereas I was forcing it at Cheltenham and trying to hang in there. He wasn't right at Cheltenham and thankfully it didn't leave a huge mark on him."
It was his 16th win for owners Audrey and Greg Turley with the nine-year-old having now won the Terenure couple almost E2.5m in prize-money.
Mullins clean sweep of the Grade 1 races began with Jasmin De Vaux while another Cheltenham Festivsl winner Bambino Fever completed the Champion Bumper double under Jody Townend, Paul's younger sister.
Kaid D'authie (13/8f) and James du Berlais (7/1) completed the five timer on another remarkable afternoon for Mullins and his team.