Fastorslow the biggest threat to Galopin's greatness
Last Raced From Petitor: From To Champs Racing Gold 1 The The Galopin Second Healy Paddy Irish Grade Away Closest Fastorslow Des Pic: Cup Rival Power Win
Galopin Des Champs can confirm himself the best staying chaser since Kauto Star by successfully defending his Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup crown in the 100th renewal of the Festival highlight.
A brilliant seven-length winner of last year’s renewal, Galopin Des Champs was beaten in his next two starts but bounced back in spectacular fashion at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, inflicting a 23-length thrashing on Gerri Colombe in the Savills Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old wasn’t as visually impressive in the Irish Gold Cup on his most recent start but he still proved four and half lengths too good for Fastorslow in a tactically run affair.
Should he perform to the level he ran to in last year’s Gold Cup or in the Savills Chase at Christmas, it’ll take a huge performance to lower his colours.
Fastorslow has shown himself capable of beating Galopin Des Champs, twice getting the better of him at Punchestown. He’s a seriously talented horse and Martin Brassil is sure to have him primed for the day.
He looks the biggest threat to the favourite, especially if the wind operation he underwent after the Irish Gold Cup ekes out a little improvement. It’ll need to though as Galopin Des Champs was only going away from him at the line at Leopardstown.
Gerri Colombe hasn’t run since that sobering Christmas defeat to Galopin Des Champs and is clearly capable of better than he produced on that occasion. However, it’s hard to see him improving enough to turn around a 23-length deficit.
Of those at bigger prices, the eye is drawn to Monkfish, a stablemate of the hot favourite. That he hasn’t run over fences in nearly three years is an obvious negative but he did win the Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park in January and the fact the Mullins camp have opted to run him here instead of the Stayers’ Hurdle suggests they believe the 10-year-old is capable of a big run. Odds of 28-1 make each-way appeal.
Willie Mullins is mobhanded in the Triumph Hurdle but Salvator Mundi, a horse yet to run for the Cheltenham centurion, can give him a third consecutive win in the race.
This horse has only run once ever, getting within two lengths of Sir Gino in Auteuil last April. That’s high class form and while victory here is a big ask, you wouldn’t put it past Mullins to pull it off. Stablemate Kargese has more obvious claims, having won the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival on her most recent start but they finished in a bunch that day, suggesting the form is decent rather than spectacular.
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle often produces big-priced winners and that trend makes Chigorin an appealing each-way bet at odds of around 18-1.
Third at Naas in November, Chigorin got off the mark in Fairyhouse before Christmas, staying on nicely.
This obviously requires considerably more but Henry de Bromhead won this race with 50-1 outsider Minella Indo in 2019 and his horses have been running out of their skin this week. On proven form, Readin Tommy Wrong is the most obvious winner and it’s hard to envisage him not being in the mix come the business end of proceedings.
The consistent Dinoblue is hard to oppose in the Grade Two Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. Limerick Lace can chase her home.
The market suggests the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase is a match between Its On The Line and Ferns Lock and preference is for the Emmet Mullins-trained horse to get his head home in front.
Dan Skelton can continue a great week by winning the BetMGM County Hurdle for a fifth time in nine years. L’Eau Du Sud finished second in the Betfair Hurdle on his most recent start but may be able to go one better here. So Scottish should also be in the mix.
The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle concludes the week and Quai De Bourbon can ensure Willie Mullins’ record-breaking week ends with one final visit to the winner’s enclosure. The Gordon Elliott-trained Better Days Ahead could prove his biggest threat.
1.30: Salvator Mundi
2.10: L’Eau Du Sud
2.50: Chigorin (Each-way)
3.30: Galopin Des Champs (Nap)
4.10: Its On The Line
4.50: Dinoblue (NB)
5.30: Quai De Bourbon
1.30: Kargese
2.10: So Scottish
2.50: Readin Tommy Wrong
3.30: Fastorslow
4.10: Ferns Lock
4.50: Limerick Lace
5.30: Better Days Ahead