Patrick Mullins expects Galopin Des Champs to bounce back from his reappearance defeat in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
Sent off at 1/2, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup winner could never land a blow in finishing third behind Fastorslow and Appreciate It.
The Get Stuck In pundit was aboard Appreciate It and told this week’s show: “We got a very easy lead, surprisingly easy really, but he jumped really well and got into a great rhythm. I was a bit frustrated after the race. I don’t think I was on the best horse, and I don’t think it’s a race I should have won but I think it’s a race I maybe could have won.
"You’re going down to the last fence and there’s no inside rail and he’s a horse who can be a bit lairy and he's jumped left at the last and JJ (Slevin on Fastorslow) has ridden his horse very well.
"He obviously knows my fellow can go left and he’s gone up our inside. Look, he might have come around us and won anyway but it was a bit annoying.
"That said it was a fantastic run from Appreciate It and hopefully he can go on and fulfil the potential we thought he had last year. He just disappointed us last season. We didn’t find any major reason, but he definitely wasn’t at the top of his game."
Neither on Sunday was Galopin Des Champs but Mullins isn’t worried that March’s defeat of Bravemansgame at Cheltenham has left a mark.
“We've gone down over the last two fences at huge speed and I was a little surprised anything came past me after jumping the last but if I I’m honest but Galopin never jumped,” he said.
“Paul (Townend) just said even early on it was the case and at the third last he’s jumped a bit slow and Blue Lord gets up his inside and he’s pushed three wide around the home bend. He definitely didn’t jump as well as he can which suggests there’s a little niggle at him somewhere but he seems fine after the race.
“I wouldn’t be of the opinion that it’s post Gold Cup exertions or anything like that, just on the day he didn’t jump as well as he can. I thought it was a good run regardless, he didn’t get a hard race and for March I’d still be quite happy.”
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