Willie Mullins: Last fence fall of Galopin Des Champs was 'just one of those things'
Jockey Paul Townend is unseated by his mount Galopin Des Champs at the last in the Turners Novices' Chase
Ruby Walsh insisted that Paul Townend was blameless for the dramatic fall which cost Galopin Des Champs the Turners Novices' Chase on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Galopin Des Champs looked certain to land the spoils when he jumped the last well clear of Bob Olinger, but he slipped and knuckled over a stride after landing and ditched Townend onto the ground.
That left Bob Olinger (6-5) to come home unchallenged with Busselton picking up the pieces for second place in the four-runner Grade One heat, 40 lengths behind the winner.
Until that untimely exit everything had gone to plan for Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins' six-year-old had jumped exuberantly in the early stages and had Bob Olinger under pressure before the race was turned on its head and the 5-6 favourite crashed out after seemingly clearing the last safely.
🗣 "I didn't think I would ever see a horse look like that."
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 17, 2022
An honest assessment from @HenrydeBromhead who reflects on the highs & lows of racing as Bob Olinger benefitted from Galopin Des Champs' final fence fall in the Turners Novices' Chase @CheltenhamRaces #TheFestival pic.twitter.com/6EiMRDDrZ3
“It is a tough sport,” said Walsh in his role as an analyst for ITV. “I watched it back there again in slow motion.
“To me, Paul Townend’s ride is perfect to the last fence.
“He sits up, sees the stride, doesn’t bend, bends in once he sees it.
“He jumps, gets the right elevation unfortunately the horse doesn’t do the landing.
“Paul Townend can’t make him land.
“For me he put him in the right spot to take off. The horse got the right height and then he didn’t land.
It was a sentiment shared by Mullins, trainer of Galopin Des Champs, in the post-race interviews.
“It is just one of those things. He was doing everything right up to that point.
“Paul said that he landed properly and just slipped after landing.”
Bob Olinger's rider Rachael Blackmore admitted the Henry de Bromhead-trained winner was fortunate.
“Strange emotions but incredible to have a winner. But I was never going to catch Paul if he stood up.
She added: "It's great to see Paul and Galopin are up and OK. It was their race to win. I don't know what to say really, it's fantastic to win, I'm delighted to win.
"I didn't get into as good a rhythm as I thought I was going to. I thought that was my fate turning in, but that's jumps racing."
De Bromhead said: "You never want to win in those circumstances, but this game — always expect the unexpected and we're delighted to win and we need to show a bit of joy as well.
"I was surprised to see him off the bridle so soon, obviously the other one is something else. I never thought I'd see another horse do that to him.
"He made a couple of mistakes so we still have to work on the jumping, but he jumped well on the first circuit.
"He's still a work in progress, it was still only his third run over fences and he's won a Grade Three and a Grade One. You don't like to win a race like that, though."
