Galvin (7/1) ran down 8/11 favourite A Plus Tard in the dying strides to win a thrilling Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott's charge jumped the last in third - and seemed booked for that place - as the strong-travelling market leader and the front-running Kemboy duelled.
A Plus Tard, who made good headway on the outside of the field to lead two out, didn't find as much as anticipated and Davy Russell conjured a real rally from the winner.
He had the momentum and it took him to victory right on the line.
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Betfair and Paddy Power cut the winner to 6/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup while pushing A Plus Tard out to 5/1 from 2s. Sky Bet are 6/1 from 16s about Galvin.
“That’s unbelievable. I had a tear in my eye for half the race, I’m not afraid to say it. We’ve had a tough year and it’s brilliant,” said Elliott. “We started off having a bit of fun around Perth with him and he hasn’t let us down the whole way. That’s 12 races he’s won now and he’s a horse of a lifetime.
“He got into a lovely rhythm, he does that, he’s a good horse and he stays like hell. He’ll go straight to the Gold Cup now. I don’t think he was much fitter today than he was in Down Royal, but he got confidence out of that race.
“Jamie Codd gave him a beautiful ride (that day), he hit the line well. I think the three-miles-two of the Gold Cup trip will suit him well. The way he stays, if he can get into a rhythm anywhere at all, I wouldn’t care if he was first or last going out on the last circuit, he’ll come very strong in the Gold Cup. The horses have run out of their skin all week and to win that race is unbelievable.”
Elliott was particularly thrilled to land the race for owner Ronnie Bartlett.
“Ronnie Bartlett is a brilliant owner, a good friend and he’s a gentleman,” he said. “Russell is a great friend of mine, we’ve been friends since riding in point-to-points at 16 or 17 years of age. I’m very lucky to have Davy and Jack (Kennedy) at the moment. That meant a lot to Davy as well as he’s very close to Ronnie. We don’t let him ride for anyone else at the moment, he’s too good to be giving to anyone
