Ruby Walsh keen on an 11-1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Willie Mullins' star chaser, Galopin Des Champs was greeted by lengthy "Ole's" from the enthralled crowd at Leopardstown after winning the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup for the third year in a row on Saturday. He is now odds-on favourite for the Gold Cup in March.

On the fourth of this year’s Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’, host Tom Nugent together with former champion jockey turned tv pundit Ruby Walsh, and Rory Delargy, look to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Arkle Chase and Triumph Hurdle.

View the show in full, including some highly-interesting viewers’ questions for both Ruby and Rory, on Paddy Power’s Racing YouTube channel.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Galopin Des Champs, Ruby?

Do I think it was his best performance ever, no, but I think he got a really good ride, a really clever ride as in I’m only going to do enough to win the race and that’s exactly what he did and come March that’ll be a help, come April in Punchestown all those little things add up.

And I do think Paul thought, and from talking to him, he was a little bit ‘did I do too much at Christmas?’ and you know what I’m thinking ‘Great, because if you’re thinking that way there’s a chance this horse is going to last.’

Fact To File has a big chance?

Could you see him lining up? I think he’ll go back in trip personally.

What was the verdict in the camp with his run?

The verdict was there was no excuse — I think he settled, I thought he settled better than he did at Christmas. I thought he jumped better than he did at Christmas, I thought he was close enough off a steady enough pace from three out.

But not alone did he not get to Galopin Des Champs, he didn’t even hold second, he dropped back to finish third so I would think thats slightly underwhelming.

Now I haven’t asked anybody else, it is Monday morning that we’re sitting here, but I would think after his last two runs at Leopardstown, to me his two best performances are John Durkan and arguably what he did over two five last year to Gaelic Warrior at the DRF.

Regardless of the form, it was just the manner in which he did that at that trip. [it was almost the best novice chase performance of the season?] It was effectively a walkover, but to your eye, he looked spectacular. I think back in trip for the Ryanair.

Verdict?

Galopin Des Champs, but for something at a little bit of value or for an interest that I think will stay and will be coming home is Corbetts Cross.

Cheltenham Gold Cup NRNB Paddy Power Odds: 8-15 Galopin Des Champs, 9-2 Fact To File, 7 Banbridge, 11 Corbetts Cross, 12 Monty’s Star, 14 Grangeclare West, 16 Grey Dawning, L’Homme Presse, 28 Jungle Boogie, 33 Gentlemansgame, 40 Embassy Gardens, Hewick, 50 Ahoy Senor, Royale Pagaille, The Real Whacker, 66 Conflated, Minella Cocooner

Arkle Chase

Majborough was pretty good at the weekend?

I thought he was, he wasn’t perfect but you can’t expect, well you can expect, but [did the race fall apart a little bit?] I don’t think so, I think he broke it apart. That’s what I thought, more so than the rest fell apart.

He wasn’t perfect — he did make a couple of niggly mistakes in the back straight — to me he never looked like falling but they just weren’t fluent jumps. Don’t want them all to be spectacular, but you’d like him to be a bit more fluent than he was when he got in close at one or two in the back straight.

But I think he learned through the contest - I thought he was brilliant at the third last, second last a little bit trappy, all right a fraction to his left but when you ride wide at a track a lot of horses will jump in off the outside.

So I wouldn’t mind that, very good at the last, loved the way he powered to the line. Absolutely adored the way he went through the line and down past the stands. He wasn’t weakening at the finish. I thought for a horse having his fifth ever racecourse start, I thought it was really good.

I hoped he’d bat the ball back into Sir Gino’s court and we’d rock up in Cheltenham and say ‘which camp are you in?’.

Is the only form line Ballyburn being taken off his feet?

Kargese maybe is the only real form line, is it? One beat her in Cheltenham, one beat her in Aintree — that’s four-year-old hurdle form, different ball game. But people will make that argument.

I don’t know — I think they’re both. Sir Gino has probably achieved more by winning a Fighting Fifth than Majborough did by winning a Triumph, but I think both horses look, and I’m usually I wouldn’t say anti five-year-olds, but I don’t really believe in five-year-olds, four coming five, but these two look exceptional.

Verdict and one at a price?

Majborough and L’Eau du Sud third favourite I’d say at a price. I know it’s a match, but if something goes wrong, if one of the top two don’t perform, I think he’ll definitely be in the first three so L’Eau du Sud.

Arkle Chase Paddy Power Odds: 8-13 Sir Gino, 2 Majborough, 8 Ballyburn, 10 L’Eau du Sud, 14 Firefox, Inthepocket, 16 Mistergif, Touch Me Not, 20 Gidleigh Park, Ile Atlantique, Impaire Et Passe, Springwell Bay, 25 Jango Baie, Only By Night, 33 Caldwell, Jordans, 40 bar

Triumph Hurdle

Hello Neighbour was very impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival?

Yeah what more can any horse do but win a race — I thought as the race started Sony Bill was in front and they weren’t going that quick. Obviously Sainte Lucie was too free, she gave herself no chance, but you’re thinking watching that race, the place to be is towards the front.

Yet the first four that went along in the race ended up the last four and the four at the back ended up at the front which was a strange kind of race to watch.

I thought Hello Neighbour settled better than he did at Christmas time, jumped really well and look he’s a 14-furlong winner on the Flat yet he had the pace to win over 10 furlongs so he stays yet he has speed, he jumped really well.

I’d imagine the gallop that East India Dock or something else will go in the Triumph would really suit Hello Neighbour, but I still thought walking away from it, four of them went by kind of four lengths between them first to fourth.

They’re either four really good ones or [theyr’e all not great] — it kind of was that way, you’d love one to have just gone away, be it Hello Neighbour or yeah Hello Neighbour was the best horse so you’d love him to just put a couple of lengths between himself and the pack.

And then you’d have thought ‘yeah bring him on there to take on East India Dock and Lulamba’, but the fact that he only went and won by three parts kind of makes me question it and I think Lulamba was very good, he beat Mondo Man.

Lulamba is a massive talking horse?

He is but he beat Mondo Man and gave him a good chunk of weight - Mondo Man is a 111 rated Flat horse. He’s a better Flat horse than Hello Neighbour or Galileo Dame who are rated 97 or 96, now that’s probably irrelevant when it comes to the scope of jumping hurdles, but when you’re trying to get a level on the standard, the horses you’re talking about, that’s what you’re at.

I thought Mondo Man was way too keen in Ascot, but I must say I doubted him walking around the ring last week in Cheltenham. I was looking at him, handy little bit of a horse, looked a picture East India Dock.

But he’s as hard as nails, he jumps like a buck, gets the trip really well and I think when it gets down to it, when they cross the road heading up to the last hurdle in the Triumph is that really long run on the New Course.

When it gets down to who’s got the guts for this, I’d like to be on East India Dock.

Verdict?

East India Dock — I doubted him walking around the paddock in Cheltenham last week, but I was impressed with what I saw, I just love his attitude. When it gets down to it, I’d love to have his determination on my side.

Triumph Hurdle Paddy Power Odds: 13-8 Lulamba, 9-4 East India Dock, 9-2 Hello Neighbour, 10 Lady Vega Allen, 12 Palladium, 16 Charlus, Galileo Dame, Legionnaire Forez, Louis Veron, Mondo Man, Sainte Lucie, 20 Kurasso Blue, Place De La Nation, Spaceport, 25 bar