Galopin on course for Gold Cup glory

WILLIE MULLINS backed Galopin Des Champs to stay strong at Cheltenham inext month after the seven-year-old’s runaway triumph in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. Punters made the mount of Paul Townend (below), whose only defeat over fences came via a last-fence depature with Cheltenham’s Turners Novices’ Chase at last year’s National Hunt Festival, the 30-100 hotpot to give Mullins a record-extending 12th win in the three-mile Grade One. Galopin Des Champs duly justified the market confidence with an eight-length supremacy from stablemate Stattler, with

Fury Road three-quarters of a length back in third. Bookmaker reaction was mixed – Irish layers Boylesports clipped Galopin Des Champs into 5-4 favourite for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 17, but Paddy Power pushed him out to 13-8.

Ireland’s champion trainer Mullins said: “I was amazed that the press were doubting the fact that he had never won over three miles over fences. by “He had won over three miles as a novice over hurdles, which is way harder than doing it over fences. To me, he’ll go four miles.” Townend, who was winning the race for the first time, said: “He’s racing the right way – when I gave him a flick, I loved what he did from there to the line.” Mullins’ dominance in the National Hunt sphere saw him priced at just 10-1 to win all eight Grade One contests at the two-day Dublin Racing Festival.

But those backing Mullins for the clean sweep came unstuck in the opening Novice Hurdle, won by the Barry Connell-trained – and owned – Good Land, now bound for Cheltenham’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Mullins did win the other two Grade One races, but not with the expected horse.

Gala Marceau floored the luckless 1-3 jolly Lossiemouth in Juvenile Hurdle, while 11-8 favourite Appreciate It finished third behind El Fabiolo in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase.