Galopin Des Champs finds rhythm and strolls to Gold Cup glory in Punchestown sunshine

If there were doubts about his ability to bounce back from his Cheltenham defeat, nobody told the punters, and just a couple of fences into the race, the writing was beginning to appear on the wall.

ROARING HOME: Paul Townend celebrates as Galopin Des Champs wins The Punchestown Gold Cup by 22 lengths from Spillane's Tower. Pic: Healy Racing

Galopin Des Champs wowed the crowd of 23,285 as he turned the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup into a sunshine stroll on a glorious Wednesday afternoon at the Co. Kildare venue.

If there were doubts about his ability to bounce back from his Cheltenham defeat, nobody told the punters who plunged into Willie Mullins’ runner in the moments before the off, and just a couple of fences into the race, the writing was beginning to appear on the wall.

Paul Townend was allowed an easy lead and his horse, in rude health, measured every fence beautifully and held his advantage with little fuss.

There were fleeting moments when Spillane’s Tower threatened to get involved but neither his nor Monty’s Star’s nor Banbridge’s ever materialised as Galopin Des Champs seared the Punchestown turf on his way to a 22-length victory.

“We were disappointed in Cheltenham but, in hindsight, he ran a huge race to get as far as he did (given) the feeling I was getting off him,” said a jubilant Townend.

“We found a good auld rhythm here early enough, and he started to take me over fences. To be honest, it wasn’t my finest moment at the last because I had revs up and was very long, and I probably changed my mind, but he figured it out and got me out of trouble.

“He’s so easy to ride, so measured at his fences now, and it’s so straightforward on him.

“That’s as simple as it is riding him – you don’t have to look for the others, you just have to ride your own horse, and if they go by you, they’re fair horses.” 

Fair horses indeed, and few can claim to have done that to the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, three-time Irish Gold Cup, and 12-time Grade One winner.

“We all have the horse of a lifetime, but Audrey (Turley, owner) especially, and she deserves it too,” said the winning trainer.

“He’s phenomenal. Paul showed him off today. To win a race like that, beating that opposition by 22 lengths, I thought was spectacular.” Spectacular, but not unexpected, could also describe the afternoon Mullins had as he saddled five winners, including all three Grade Ones, for a 296-1 accumulator.

The staying hurdle division often struggles to fire the imagination of punters but the novices in that division served up a thriller in the Grade One Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle, and it was Albert Bartlett winner Jasmin De Vaux who shaded the verdict over Honesty Policy in dramatic fashion.

When he landed steep at the final hurdle, he almost sent Paul Townend out the side door and, after losing one iron, rather than waste time trying to recover it on the run-in, the rider made the split-second decision to kick out the other one and get down to the business of driving the favourite home.

“I feel a bit stupid, to be honest,” he admitted. “We all know what way he jumps, and we were spot-on, and I asked him for one, and he just got his ass a bit high and had a peck. My weight went one way, and he shifted at the wrong time, and I lost my right stirrup, and I thought it was quicker to kick out the other one and ride for the finish than try to get it back.” 

Bambino Fever silenced the doubters with a powerful display in the Grade One Race & Stay at Punchestown Champion Bumper, completing the Cheltenham-Punchestown double for herself and Jody Townend.

Teak-tough and classy, she quickened up in the manner of a truly top-class sort to keep Switch From Diesel at bay.

Next season feels a long way away, and perhaps the mares’ route will be her destiny, but she has all the attributes to be a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle contender and, perhaps, the one to emulate Like A Butterfly, who, in 2002, was the last mare to win the Cheltenham race.

Said Townend: “In fairness to the lads that own her, they are very good to me. They stick by me, and they have struck gold with this one. It’s the first horse they’ve had in training, and they’ll struggle to find another like her.” 

Kaid d’Authie, a horse of considerable scope, set the ball rolling for Mullins’ domination of the day, winning the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle under Mark Walsh.

Chasing will likely be next on the agenda, suggested Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus: “He’s very long-striding and he’s awkward over his hurdles, but hopefully he will have more respect for his fences because he has very little respect for his hurdles. He’s a fine, big horse, and hopefully he will put it all together over fences.” 

Patience and stealth reaped reward in the Grade Three Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase as James Du Berlais, brilliantly ridden by JJ Slevin, completed the Mullins five-timer.