Galopin Des Champs wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Willie Mullins
Favorite Galopin Des Champs has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup after a brilliant performance from Paul Townend.
In a thrilling edition of the Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs avoided the carnage that forced two of the horses to stop and another number to fall over two fences.
Carnage was demanded all over the track, with Ahoy Señor going down and essentially taking A Plus Tard with him, after Rachael Blackmore was forced to pull out last year’s winner having lost her pace.
With the Paul Nicholls-trained Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame going all out towards the final two fences, the eventual winner avoided the mistake he made in last year’s Turner’s Novices’ Chase that allowed Bob Olinger to claim victory.
To cap off what has been another brilliant week for Willie Mullins at Cheltenham, Galopin Des Champs lived up to his pre-race market favouritism.
Paul Townend was visibly emotional at the end of the race in which he won his third Gold Cup.
Townend, a generally calm and collected figure, celebrated wildly aboard Galopin Des Champs
Going into the homestretch neck and neck with Bravemansgame Galopin Des Champs showed an irresistible turn of foot
There were serious doubts hanging over Galopin’s head as to whether he had the stamina to endure the trip, and Mullins insisted he was ready to win the Gold Cup.
With just six hurdles to go, Galopin Des Champs had work to do with Protektorat and Bravemansgame leading the charge towards the Grandstand.
However, as Mullins pointed out in his ITV interview after the race, everyone knew which horse was fastest in the race and the gelding’s demanded foot turn only confirmed this.
A masterful ride from Townend, the questions that had plagued both rider and horse were quickly abolished.
Executing the break at the perfect time, Galopin Des Champs accelerated down the stretch and won by seven clear lengths, displaying a foot turn that Bravemansgame simply does not possess.
Audrey Turley, owner of Galopin Des Champs, speaking to ITV Racing said: ‘It’s a dream come true. We never thought we would be here. He is a wonderful horse. We are so excited. Excitement has been high all week.
‘I don’t know what to say or what to think. It’s so amazing and wonderful. We have Willie Mullins and the wonderful team to thank, we wouldn’t be here without them.’
Claiming his third Gold Cup, the usually calm and collected Townend was visibly excited to get past the final post.
‘Not a clean sailing, that’s for sure! Everywhere I went I got in trouble,’ she said. ‘A correct horse, correct because he ran three different races and still won a Gold Cup.
“I was delighted to see everything that was happening in front of me. He gave me a chance to fill it in after making up a lot of ground. This race is just different. It takes winning to a different level.’
The pressure on the Irishman had been immense in the build-up, with some of his racing being criticized in the days before.
Bravemansgame followed in second while the Gordon Elliott-trained Conflated produced a brilliant race with a price just before the race to finish third.
Last year’s Grand National hero Noble Yeats finished fourth, opening up the possibility of another assault on Aintree in about a month.
The defending champion, riding for Henry of Bromhead with fan favorite Rachael Blackmore aboard, was stopped after falling behind following Ahoy Senor’s crash just a few fences from the finish.
In what would have been a true fairy tale, A Plus Tard rarely seemed to trouble the front pack and those who had raised concerns about his lack of execution in recent months were apparently vindicated.
Stattler, who had staked 1/20 to 1/16 before the race, never found the ride and had to be stopped before the horses had completed their last lap.
Thanking Mullins and the Closutton team after the race, Turley said last year’s mistakes had been forgotten.
“We really just have to thank the great Willie Mullins and the entire Closutton team, we wouldn’t be here having this wonderful day without them,” he said.
‘Let’s forget all that (last year, when the horse fell at the last fence), these things happen and in races anything can happen as we know. Here we are, beautiful sunshine and Galopin has won, we are excited.