Galopin Des Champs impressive in Fairyhouse romp. © Photo Healy Racing
Galopin Des Champs made up for his Cheltenham disappoint when putting up an electric performance to win the featured Boylesports Gold Cup Novices Chase at Fairyhouse.
The Willie Mullins trained six-year-old jumped exceptionally well here, taking lengths out of his rivals and putting himself right when getting in close. Master McShee and Riviere D'etel briefly looked like putting it up to the warm favourite but once jockey Paul Towned asked him to go win his race the response was immediate.
Such was the authority of his success that Townend had a job to pull the gelding up once passing the winning line.
Townend said; "he was an armchair ride, lobbing along and jumping for fun.
"He was set to put in a massive performance at Cheltenham before his fall and the important thing is that he learned from it.
"I was so happy with him today. He knew what he was doing and looked a real professional."
Willie Mullins, “He had a hard race in Cheltenham — any horse that goes at that pace would have a hard race. All his homework suggested he was fine and Paul was happy with him.
“I was going to wait and go over three miles at Punchestown but then I thought a Grade 1 race over two and a half miles here and we took our chance today.
“Paul rode him differently down to the first than he did at Cheltenham and that made a big change.
“To me it looked an ordinary pace and it looked like the other two elected to challenge him over the last three fences.
“Once he changed gear between the last two it was over bar jumping the last. He just seemed to be on a wrong stride and Paul let the horse decide. He put down lovely and got over it.
“He quickened away after the last and he couldn’t pull him up going around the bend.
“I reckon he’s a Gold Cup horse. I have to discuss that with Greg and Audrey (Turley, owners) yet but he looks a horse for the Gold Cup.”
4/1 (joint fav with A Plus Tard) unchanged with PP and Betfair for 2023 Gold Cup
