Should Galopin Des Champs head back to Punchestown? Galopin Des Champs was denied in his quest for a third straight Cheltenham Gold Cup as Inothewayurthinkin stayed on strongly up the hill to win the Blue Riband in fine style for Gavin Cromwell. Willie Mullins' star lost little in defeat, given the magnitude of what he was trying to achieve, and now his connections must ponder where to go next. The nine-year-old has been defeated in four of his five runs over fences at Punchestown, so will Ireland's end of season jamboree be on the agenda again? Gold Cup hat-trick thwarted Galopin Des Champs went to the Cotswolds with history on the horizon, looking to join the likes of Arkle and Best Mate as the only horses to achieve three-in-a-row in the Gold Cup since the early 1950s. After his imperious wins at Leopardstown over Christmas and during the Dublin Racing Festival in February, the stage was seemingly set for Mullins' star to join the pantheon of great jumps horses. He came up short, denied by Inothewayurthinkin on ground perhaps just faster than Galopin Des Champs might have wanted. His jumping wasn't what we have come to expect and, post-race Paul Townend admitted he'd never been entirely happy with the champion on the way around. In the circumstances, it was far from a poor effort and the fact he was a dozen lengths clear of Gentlemansgame in third showed that Galopin Des Champs was still running to a very high level of form. Punchestown bids seems unlikely Even at his best, Galopin Des Champs has proved fallible at Punchestown. Whether that has been in the spring after his Cheltenham successes or starting out in the winter in the John Durkan over a shorter trip, he has never quite seemed at home around the Kildare circuit. Fastorslow twice took his measure in the Punchestown Gold Cup and, in between, in the 2023 John Durkan, while back in November he was behind both Fact To File and Spillane's Tower in his Grade 1 comeback race. His easy win in the 2022 John Durkan, when Fakir D'oudairies was a long way behind in second, remains his only success over fences at the track. Compare that to Leopardstown, where he remains unbeaten with seven wins over fences in as many attempts, and there has to be major doubt surrounding his effectiveness at this track. Summer break to come early? Galopin Des Champs has always followed Cheltenham with one more spring outing, once at Fairyhouse where he won a Grade 1 novice in 2022 and two times at Punchestown since, both when second to Fastorslow. The Aintree Bowl comes up on Thursday April 3rd, less than three weeks on from Cheltenham and that turnaround appears on the fast side. There aren't many other options on the table, save for Punchestown. Mullins hasn't made any utterances as yet to suggest what his plans are for Galopin Des Champs. He'll only be a 10-year-old next spring when a second chance to bag his third Gold Cup in the Cotswolds rolls around, and that may already be in the thinking for his connections. An extended summer break could be in the offing. Get €30 in FREE BETS with the bet365 sign up offer:
