Latest news with #GalopindesChamps
The Irish Sun
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘He's my baby boy' – Galopin Des Champs storms home in Gold Cup as owner Audrey Turley hides in the stands
AUDREY Turley has revealed that she was hiding in the stands as Galopin des Champs romped to victory on DAY 2 of the Punchestown Festival. The famous horse made it third time luck at the Kildare racecourse to claims the Gold Cup. 2 Galopin des Champs owner Audrey Turley after the horses win at the Punchestown Gold Cup 2 Paul Townend celebrates with the cup after winning the Punchestown Gold Cup Chase on Galopin Des Champs on day two The Wille Mullins' trained superstar strolled home to win by 22-lengths in the feature race of the festival. Mrs Turley hailed the horse and trainer after the win in the Kildare sunshine as she called them superstars before revealing that she's always too nervous to watch the race live when at the racecourse. Speaking to She said: "Not really... I got a commentary from everybody around me. I was up hiding in the stands. READ MORE ON RACING "I took their word, and once he's over the last safely, I can look and it's all good... it's fantastic." "He's my baby boy, and I absolutely love him." The French-bred, Irish-trained National Hunt racehorse claimed back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cup victories in 2023 and 2024, along with consecutive wins in the Irish Gold Cup in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Before today's success, the eight-year-old began his season with a third run in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, where he finished third behind Fact To File and Spillane's Tower. Most read in Horse Racing On 2 December 2024, Galopin Des Champs was named Horse of the Year at the Horse Racing Ireland awards. He beat off strong shortlist that included City of Troy and Kyprios. Willie Mullins breaks down in tears as Nick Rockett storms to emotional Grand National win He returned to action later that month and reversed earlier form with Fact To File, landing a second Savills Chase victory on 28 December. He followed that up with a dominant display to claim a third consecutive Irish Gold Cup on 1 February 2025.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mullins's Galopin des Champs bids to join Gold Cup legends
Galopin des Champs bids to join the legends of jump racing Arkle, Best Mate, Cottage Rake and Golden Miller as a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday. Willie Mullins has nurtured many great champions but the 68-year-old is in no doubt as to Galopin des Champs being the best he has ever trained. "He has to be, you'd have to say that," said the Irish training titan ahead of the blue riband of the sport "He goes out and takes it from the front and grabs races by the scruff of the neck -– and he battles off everyone" he added. Mullins and the Gold Cup has been a bit like the old saying of waiting hours for a London bus before two came along -- though in his case it has been four. Having swept the board in most of the big races at the Festival the Gold Cup eluded him till 2019 when Al Boum Photo won the first of his two Gold Cups. Al Boum Photo finished third when he tried for the threepeat but that was behind two outstanding horses, the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo Minella Indo and A Plus Tard. The latter was to reverse placings with Minella Indo the following year before the Galopin des Champs show came along in 2023. He will face eight rivals, five of them Irish making it odds on the Irish will extend their winning run in the race to seven. Galopin comes into the Festival on the back of two wins -- including the Irish Gold Cup -- and should he be successful aged just nine he would have time on his side to even equal Golden Miller's record of five victories. His jockey Paul Townend, who like Mullins is bidding for a fifth Gold Cup, says Galopin des Champs makes jumping seem effortless. "He obviously has huge, huge talent," said the 34-year-old Irishman, whose only equine company at home in Ireland is three Shetland ponies. "His appetite for it is the one quality that stands out. "You can look at the last fence and ride at it like it's not there. You know when you land, he's going to gallop to the line." - 'Give him a fright' - His toughest challenger may be the fences as it is not the classiest field ever assembled for the most prestigious race on the jumps calendar. His likeliest rivals according to the bookmakers are Banbridge and Inothewayurthinkin. Banbridge is certainly a contender based on his win in the King George VI Chase in late December, moving into top gear to overhaul the gallant French runner Il Est Francais. "We're well aware that Galopin Des Champs is a special horse and we're very privileged to have a horse that can even be considered a rival, or one that could give him a fright," trainer Joseph O'Brien told the Luck on Sunday programme. "We couldn't say that he wouldn't get the distance and, probably what will be more telling, is whether we can beat Galopin on the day or not," added O'Brien, who has won the Melbourne Cup twice, a rare race Mullins has competed for and failed to capture. There was enough confidence behind Inothewayurthinkin to pay a fee to supplement him, though, his main target is the Grand National for which he is favourite. However, with a lack of rain trainer Gavin Cromwell may have second thoughts and opt ultimately not to run him. "If he does (run) then I definitely think he'll get closer to Galopin Des Champs once again (fourth to him in Irish Gold Cup)," he said. "Whether he's good enough to beat him I'm not sure, but he's come on again from the Irish Gold Cup. "Having a run in the race will be good experience for him in the future." Of the others English duo Royal Pagaille and The Real Whacker, are solid performers, Ahoy Senor flies the flag for Scotland, whilst de Bromhead could once again spoil a Mullins stable star's bid for three successive wins with his Monty's Star. pi/nr
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Cheltenham Festival 2025 tips: Experts on best bets and 12 horses to watch on day one
The Cheltenham Festival is back and the 2025 edition promises four action-packed days of racing culminating in Friday's Gold Cup with Galopin des Champs pushing for a third successive victory. Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, the pair hope Galopin des Champs can create history once more, but punters will take in Champion Day first of all, with seven compelling races to consider. The opening day could see Constitution Hill deliver for punters in the Champion Hurdle, though Brighterdaysahead is also fancied by many. Mullins has discussed his declarations, including the intriguing decision to run Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle instead of the Champion Hurdle on day one. "She worked nicely last week but I was happy enough that State Man worked better than her,' he told Racing TV. 'Paul was not going to ride her in the Champion Hurdle so the obvious thing to do was go for the Mares'. It's disappointing as it had been the plan to run her in the Champion Hurdle for two years but after her work the other day we felt she would just be a runner.' Our racing expert Sam Turner will be at Cheltenham all week, plus legendary former jockey Ruby Walsh has shared his tips with Paddy Power. And Ed Chamberlin and Oli Bell share their tips with Sky Bet. Champion Day – Tuesday, 11 March 1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1 ) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f| 8 hurdles | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Romeo Coolio – 11/2 Kopek Des Bordes posted an imperious display at the Dublin Racing Festival, trouncing a decent field to render a sluggish round of hurdling on his Leopardstown novice hurdle debut a distant memory. Trainer Willie Mullins, who provides half of the 12-strong field, equips his star novice with a hood for the first time to try and keep him calm ahead of his big assignment and, if he takes the preliminaries well, he will be extremely tough to beat. Fellow Grade 1 winner Romeo Coolio is a strong galloper with previous Festival experience so could prove the chief danger, while William Munny is also a class act and should be in the mix. 2.00: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Majborough – 4/7 No five-year-old has won the My Pension Expert Arkle since Voy Por Ustedes triumphed 19 years ago (16 have tried and failed), but Majborough is an extremely short price to end that sequence here. Last year's Triumph Hurdle winner has been exceptional in his two starts over fences and will have learned plenty from his Leopardstown triumph where he was low at a couple of his obstacles. L'Eau du Sud and Jango Baie look the chief dangers with the latter fancied for the forecast spot as he stays so strongly. 2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m1f | 20 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Broadway Boy – 13/2 A typically competitive handicap which has seen 12 of the last 15 renewals go the way of first or second-season chasers, while five of the last 11 winners ran in the Coral Trophy at Newbury at the end of November. Broadway Boy, runner-up at Newbury, arguably has worse knees than your correspondent, but his condition is well managed by connections, and he ticks a lot of boxes given his course experience. Others to bear in mind include Henry's Friend (strongly fancied by the stable), Sequestered (excellent effort last time out) and Myretown who could give it a bold go from the front. 3.20: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Lossiemouth – 4/6 The presence of Lossiemouth here rather than in the Champion Hurdle is somewhat disappointing and a debate for another day, but last year's three-length winner clearly sets a standard her rivals must surpass. She arrives to defend her crown following a nasty fall at Leopardstown, but that's arguably the first mistake she's made in her career and her second to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle represents the best form in the race. For those looking for a big-priced alternative, July Flower (stable have excellent record in this), Take No Chances (will like the ground) and Queen's Gamble (may improve for step up in trip) are shortlisted. Ed Chamberlin's tip: Joyeuse - 9/1 each way 'In the Mares Hurdle Lossiemouth should win, but I'm happy to take her on,' Chamberlin tells Sky Bet. 'I'm going to back Joyeuse each way in that race, I think she's pretty good and on the up.' 4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh's tip: Brighterdaysahead – 15/8 'She [Brighterdaysahead] blew me away in Leopardstown,' Walsh told Paddy Power. 'I was watching it thinking, you're going too fast, you're going too fast, you're going too fast the whole way, and all of a sudden, they were going too fast for the pacemaker, he falls in a hole going to the third last, King Of Kingsfield, the next minute the mare picks up, heads on to the second last and away with her off the bend again. It's the one hurdle performance this year that you went 'Jesus.'' Sam Turner's tip: Constitution Hill – 8/13 The price of Constitution Hill could be even shorter if the three earlier odds-on favourites have already obliged to leave betting sites facing serious liabilities. The vibes from his trainer have been that his star hurdler is back to his best this winter and the fact he was allowed to run on Trials Day at the end of January was an undoubted positive. Brighterdaysahead provides significant opposition doubts remain as to whether her 30-length win at Leopardstown last time can be believed as a piece of form and she was disappointingly beaten by Golden Ace (33/1 in this field) in the mares novices' hurdle here 12 months ago. 4.40: Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh's tip: Beyond Your Dreams – 6/1 'I'll have to go for a price so I'll go for Beyond Your Dreams [in the Fred Winter],' Walsh told Paddy Power. 'I think the obvious ones early in the card – Kopek Des Bordes [Supreme], Majborough [Arkle] but look if you're going for something at some bit of a price.' Sam Turner's tip: Stencil – 5/1 Another ferociously competitive handicap and fans of East India Dock in the Triumph Hurdle on Friday will be hoping Stencil, second to James Owen's talented hurdler on Trials Day, can endorse the form. The French recruit travelled strongly that day before giving best on the run in and shouldn't meet anything of that ability here. The well-backed Total Look sports the headgear for the first time which may sharpen up his jumping, while Liam Swagger enjoyed a smooth prep in a Southwell flat race recently and looks overpriced. Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tips: Haiti Couleurs – 4/1; Transmission – 9/1 The handicap fought out between Haiti Couleurs and Transmission here before Christmas could be a pivotal piece of form and it is difficult to pick between the pair given they both stay well and have course experience. The latter looks as though he should improve again for a further step up in trip as all he does is gallop, while Haiti Couleurs looks to have the class to become a National prospect in time for connections that won this with Teaforthree. Gericault Roque has also had this race on his agenda for some time. Oli Bell's tip: Transmission - 5/1 'I really like Transmission in the last race, who I think has been laid out for this race,' Bell tells Sky Bet. 'He's towards the top of the market but has got good course form. He's well treated, and he'll relish the trip. I think he's a really good bet in the last.'
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Cheltenham Festival tips: Experts on best bets and 10 horses to watch on day one
Cheltenham Festival is back and the 2025 edition promises four action-packed days of racing culminating in Friday's Gold Cup with Galopin des Champs pushing for a third successive victory. Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, the pair hope Galopin des Champs can create history once more, but punters will take in Champion Day first of all, with seven compelling races to consider. The opening day could see Constitution Hill deliver for punters in the Champion Hurdle, though Brighterdaysahead is also fancied by many. Mullins has discussed his declarations, including the intriguing decision to run Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle instead of the Champion Hurdle on day one. "She worked nicely last week but I was happy enough that State Man worked better than her,' he told Racing TV. 'Paul was not going to ride her in the Champion Hurdle so the obvious thing to do was go for the Mares'. It's disappointing as it had been the plan to run her in the Champion Hurdle for two years but after her work the other day we felt she would just be a runner.' Find the latest Cheltenham odds and free bet offers Sign up here. Our racing expert Sam Turner will be at Cheltenham all week, plus legendary former jockey Ruby Walsh has shared his tips with Paddy Power. Champion Day – Tuesday, 11 March 1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1 ) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f| 8 hurdles | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Romeo Coolio – 11/2 Kopek Des Bordes posted an imperious display at the Dublin Racing Festival, trouncing a decent field to render a sluggish round of hurdling on his Leopardstown novice hurdle debut a distant memory. Trainer Willie Mullins, who provides half of the 12-strong field, equips his star novice with a hood for the first time to try and keep him calm ahead of his big assignment and, if he takes the preliminaries well, he will be extremely tough to beat. Fellow Grade 1 winner Romeo Coolio is a strong galloper with previous Festival experience so could prove the chief danger, while William Munny is also a class act and should be in the mix. 2.00: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Majborough – 4/7 No five-year-old has won the My Pension Expert Arkle since Voy Por Ustedes triumphed 19 years ago (16 have tried and failed), but Majborough is an extremely short price to end that sequence here. Last year's Triumph Hurdle winner has been exceptional in his two starts over fences and will have learned plenty from his Leopardstown triumph where he was low at a couple of his obstacles. L'Eau du Sud and Jango Baie look the chief dangers with the latter fancied for the forecast spot as he stays so strongly. 2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m1f | 20 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Broadway Boy – 13/2 A typically competitive handicap which has seen 12 of the last 15 renewals go the way of first or second-season chasers, while five of the last 11 winners ran in the Coral Trophy at Newbury at the end of November. Broadway Boy, runner-up at Newbury, arguably has worse knees than your correspondent, but his condition is well managed by connections, and he ticks a lot of boxes given his course experience. Others to bear in mind include Henry's Friend (strongly fancied by the stable), Sequestered (excellent effort last time out) and Myretown who could give it a bold go from the front. 3.20: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | Old Course Sam Turner's tip: Lossiemouth – 4/6 The presence of Lossiemouth here rather than in the Champion Hurdle is somewhat disappointing and a debate for another day, but last year's three-length winner clearly sets a standard her rivals must surpass. She arrives to defend her crown following a nasty fall at Leopardstown, but that's arguably the first mistake she's made in her career and her second to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle represents the best form in the race. For those looking for a big-priced alternative, July Flower (stable have excellent record in this), Take No Chances (will like the ground) and Queen's Gamble (may improve for step up in trip) are shortlisted. 4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh's tip: Brighterdaysahead – 15/8 'She [Brighterdaysahead] blew me away in Leopardstown,' Walsh told Paddy Power. 'I was watching it thinking, you're going too fast, you're going too fast, you're going too fast the whole way, and all of a sudden, they were going too fast for the pacemaker, he falls in a hole going to the third last, King Of Kingsfield, the next minute the mare picks up, heads on to the second last and away with her off the bend again. It's the one hurdle performance this year that you went 'Jesus.'' Sam Turner's tip: Constitution Hill – 8/13 The price of Constitution Hill could be even shorter if the three earlier odds-on favourites have already obliged to leave bookmakers facing serious liabilities. The vibes from his trainer have been that his star hurdler is back to his best this winter and the fact he was allowed to run on Trials Day at the end of January was an undoubted positive. Brighterdaysahead provides significant opposition doubts remain as to whether her 30-length win at Leopardstown last time can be believed as a piece of form and she was disappointingly beaten by Golden Ace (33/1 in this field) in the mares novices' hurdle here 12 months ago. 4.40: Boodles Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course Ruby Walsh's tip: Beyond Your Dreams (Fred Winter) – 6/1 'I'll have to go for a price so I'll go for Beyond Your Dreams [in the Fred Winter],' Walsh told Paddy Power. 'I think the obvious ones early in the card – Kopek Des Bordes [Supreme], Majborough [Arkle] but look if you're going for something at some bit of a price.' Another ferociously competitive handicap and fans of East India Dock in the Triumph Hurdle on Friday will be hoping Stencil, second to James Owen's talented hurdler on Trials Day, can endorse the form. The French recruit travelled strongly that day before giving best on the run in and shouldn't meet anything of that ability here. The well-backed Total Look sports the headgear for the first time which may sharpen up his jumping, while Liam Swagger enjoyed a smooth prep in a Southwell flat race recently and looks overpriced. Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course Sam Turner's tips: Haiti Couleurs – 4/1; Transmission – 9/1 The handicap fought out between Haiti Couleurs and Transmission here before Christmas could be a pivotal piece of form and it is difficult to pick between the pair given they both stay well and have course experience. The latter looks as though he should improve again for a further step up in trip as all he does is gallop, while Haiti Couleurs looks to have the class to become a National prospect in time for connections that won this with Teaforthree. Gericault Roque has also had this race on his agenda for some time.
