Galopin Des Champs has the measure of Fury Road

Cheltenham Festival tips and analysis: Galopin Des Champs reaction

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed February 08, 2023 · 3y ago

Galopin Des Champs' performance in winning the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup divided opinion.

Some bookmakers eased him out for the Cheltenham equivalent next month off the back of an eight-length defeat of Stattler at Leopardstown on Saturday.

The Sporting Life Racing Podcast team were split too - Ed Chamberlin one who wasn't bowled over.

"I think the Gold Cup this year is an absolute ripper, I really, really like it.

"I watched the Irish Gold Cup and you couldn’t take your eyes off Galopin. He’s so much more tractable nowadays but I have mixed feelings about him, he’s just slightly lost the ‘wow’ factor in the way he’s that much more professional now," he said.

“Last year he had that box office about him. Is he more likely to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup now? Possibly, but he still has that stamina to prove after the weekend. He might have lost a bit of that wow factor but he did prove he can go out and win on a Tuesday night at Stoke and sometimes you have to dig it out and get dirty to win at Cheltenham.

“It’s just a price thing, he’s still around 6/4, which is pretty short after a good, solid, professional display."

But Graham Cunningham understands why he is such a solid market leader and sees shades of a Cheltenham legend in Willie Mullins' rising star.

“Most trainers are focused on getting their horses there right and that’s Henry De Bromhead’s task with A Plus Tard. It's strange that a 15 lengths Gold Cup winner should be, after one more disappointing run at Haydock, 7/1 or 8/1 for the Gold Cup, while a newcomer in Galopin Des Champs is 6/4, but I get it.

“I think Galopin is the most exciting newcomer to the Gold Cup since Kauto Star announced himself in 2007. It’s an interesting comparison, they were both seven, both have French backgrounds and both had dramatic Festival falls the previous year to their first Gold Cups, Kauto in the Champion Chase and Galopin the Turners.

Get Stuck In - Ep 12: Dublin Racing Festival reaction and Betfair Hurdle thoughts

"There’s something about him (Galopin Des Champs), I think he might be ready to explode in March. A Plus Tard was an exception but by and large your first go at a Gold Cup is your best chance of winning one and I think Galopin Des Champs is rampantly progressive.

“I don’t think there’s a question he's the fastest horse in the Gold Cup, the extra two furlongs is a challenge, but Willie Mullins said he thinks he’d go four miles, and to me he is absolutely the right favourite. I can’t wait to see him again, I think he’s a crackerjack."

Billy Nash feels we're seeing a new Galopin Des Champs this season and it's one who is a capable of winning at Prestbury Park next month.

“I take Ed’s point – he’s not the flamboyant horse he was last year when he was just going out and winging his fences, he is a much more professional racehorse this time around. He’s much more settled which gives him a much better chance of staying and therefore a much better chance of winning a Gold Cup," he reasoned.

“From a form perspective he didn’t need to improve much last Saturday, as we expected to be the case. We thought he’d win this race. From a Timeform rating we put him up three pounds, he did what he had to do, but the most impressive aspect of the whole lot was what he did off the back of the last.

“Just for a brief moment running to the last fence it looked like Fury Road might have him in trouble and then he carried him a little to his left there, but what was very significant was how quickly Galopin Des Champs put distance between himself and his rival afterwards.

“It might have looked on camera that there was little between them but that was a trick of the camera, he was pulling well clear and going further clear by the line. I think he’ll get the trip at Cheltenham fine."

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org

Like what you've read?