Galopin Des Champs successfully defends Gold Cup crown
STILL ON TOP: Paul Townend celebrates winning the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase with Galopin Des Champs during day one of the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival. Pic: Damien Eagers, PA Wire.
Most of what Willie Mullins touched on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival turned to gold, and that was literally the case in the feature when Galopin Des Champs made all the running to complete back-to-back wins in the Grade One Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Paul Townend set off in front aboard the odds-on favourite and was able to dictate throughout. While Fastorslow often jumped a little better than the leader, what Galopin Des Champs produced was more than adequate and, under a well-judged ride in the testing conditions, he had plenty left when the late battle ensued with market rival Fastorslow.
There was one moment, shortly after turning for home, when there was little more than a length between them, and when Galopin Des Champs ran around a little on the approach to the last fence, there was still some doubt about the result.
However, he negotiated the obstacle quite well and when Townend asked for maximum effort at the back of the fence, the response was impressive.
Perhaps it was not quite as emphatic as it was in the Savills Chase, in which he pulled 22 lengths clear of his rivals, but there was an unmistakable quality to it, and everything is now in place for the return to Cheltenham to defend another Gold Cup crown.
“It turned into a bit of a dash, probably, but I think he’s just a very good horse and he’s back to himself,” said a delighted Townend.
“He was popping away in front and was there when I wanted him for big ones. I thought he jumped better today than he did at Christmas, but maybe that was because I was getting it my own way.
“He’s so honest because he just doesn’t know when he’s beaten. The couple of days he was beaten, I thought he was going to be beaten a long way, but he wasn’t beaten far. That’s pure guts that kept him in it those couple of times.
"He’s a good horse, and I was able to dictate it, and I thought it was going to have to be a fair one to come by me when I was left to do it my own way like that.”
Asked if he was concerned when Fastorslow loomed large early in the straight, he explained: “We were quickening at that stage, so JJ (Slevin), in theory, would have had to quicken twice, and he was dancing to my tune today rather than me dancing to his in the John Durkan when I finished behind him.”
While that was Townend’s first of the day, it was the completion of the full set of four Grade Ones, at odds of 713-1, for the winning trainer.
Danny Mullins was the man on the plate for the first three, taking the novice hurdle aboard Dancing City, the juvenile hurdle aboard Kargese, and the Arkle Chase with Il Etait Temps.
