Completing a hat-trick of Irish Gold Cup wins and a season-ending setback for Gerri Colombe leave Galopin Des Champs a firm odds-on favourite for a third Cheltenham Gold Cup victory on Friday, 14 March this year.
Willie Mullins’ star staying chaser came through his final prep race at the Dublin Racing Festival with aplomb. Galopin Des Champs confirmed Savills Chase form with stable companion Fact To File, then saw his old rival Gerri Colombe ruled out of Cheltenham less than 48 hours later.
After attracting just 19 initial entries, the Gold Cup field has already started thinning out. First, French raider and King George second Il Est Francais looks set to drop down in trip, then Dan Skelton revealed Grey Dawning has other targets away from the Festival.
The news that last year’s Gold Cup second Gerri Colombe would miss out on a bid of going one better meant a significant shake-up in the markets. All of the leading Cheltenham betting sites now have Galopin Des Champs at odds-on with Betfair a standout 8/13.
As a dual victor in the race and three-time Festival winner, the nine-year-old is as short as 2/5 with some firms to land a historic treble. If Galopin Des Champs delivers a third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup, he matches the exploits of equine greats like Arkle and Best Mate.
Only a small handful of racehorses have won the blue riband on multiple occasions and just the latter this century. If the current Cheltenham Gold Cup betting is right, then Galopin Des Champs will be the shortest-price favourite since Best Mate completed his hat-trick in 2004.
Banbridge Cut for King George Gold Cup Double
Opposition to Mullins’ superstar suddenly looks meagre. It is increasingly likely that Fact To File will swerve another encounter with Galopin Des Champs after consecutive Leopardstown defeats at Christmas and during the Dublin Racing Festival.
According to the latest Cheltenham odds, the JP McManus runner is now 2/1 favourite for the Ryanair Chase the day before the Gold Cup instead. The leading Irish owner also has Corbetts Cross entered in the big race. Like Galopin Des Champs, he has experienced mixed fortunes at past Festivals.
Corbetts Cross ran out at the final flight in the 2023 Albert Bartlett, yet made amends when landing the National Hunt Chase last season. He doesn’t always jump fluently, but could be similar in profile to Native River, who came from the long distance event and successfully subsequently captured a Gold Cup.
King George VI Chase hero Banbridge is the springer in the market with his price slashed into 10/1. Joseph O’Brien maintains a select set of jumpers and, like Galopin Des Champs, he’s a past Cheltenham winner of the Martin Pipe on Gold Cup day.
Banbridge is a ground dependent horse and the going at the Festival could thus determine his target. A sound surface is essential for him to be seen to best effect with him flopping on rain-softened ground in the Ryanair last season.
It is already 20/1 bar three in the Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs confirming his superiority at staying trips over Fact To File. Splitting the pair in the Irish Gold Cup was Grangeclare West, another Mullins mount, but he has never raced outside of Ireland.
L’Homme Presse Could Run Again Before Taking on Galopin Des Champs
Henry De Bromhead runner Monty’s Star and Tramore conqueror Embassy Gardens were expected to figure behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown. Both didn’t make the frame, however, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
The British challenge solely rests on the shoulders of L’Homme Presse. A look at last season’s Cheltenham results shows him finishing fourth to Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup, though. Venetia Williams may turn one of her stable starts out again before the Festival.
This is despite the fact that L’Homme Presse ran third in the King George behind Banbridge on reappearance and has since landed the Cotswold Chase on Festival Trials Day. Connections went for the Ascot Chase en route to Cheltenham last February, but he jumped left throughout.
L’Homme Presse will likely bump into course specialist Pic D’Orhy there once again who was too good for him at that venue 12 months ago. The bookies don’t seem sure about the wisdom of Williams taking in another race. It actually led to L’Homme Presse drifting out to 25/1 with some firms.
On last season’s Gold Cup form, he has plenty to find (15 lengths) with Galopin Des Champs. Such a busy campaign from Christmas containing three runs isn’t the typical profile of recent Cheltenham horses successful in the big one.
A three-week turnaround between the Gold Cup and Grand National Festival is also a consideration for some trainers. Aintree is early this year, because of how Easter falls late. Galopin Des Champs is in poll position to earn a place in history and eclipse Al Boum Photo as his stable’s greatest Cheltenham chaser.
