Odds-on in the U.S., Galopin Des Champs repeats in Cheltenham Gold Cup

The brilliant steeplechaser Galopin Des Champs won the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second consecutive year at Cheltenham Racecourse in Britain on Friday, giving jockey Paul Townend a record-equaling fourth career win in the race’s 100th running.

Townend joined 1960s star Pat Taafe as the only four-time winner of the Gold Cup. Winning trainer Willie Mullins, who dominates the sport in Britain and Ireland, won his fourth Gold Cup, leaving him one victory short of tying Tom Dreaper, who won the race five times from 1946 to 1968.

The heavily favored Galopin Des Champs (who paid $3.20 in American pools) had a stalking trip in the $799,900 Gold Cup, run at 3 5/16 miles over 22 fences.

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Townend put Galopin Des Champs behind the leaders for the first three miles before moving closer to the front three fences from the finish.

The only real concern at that stage of the race was whether Fastorslow, who unseated jockey J.J. Slevin about a mile from the finish, would pose a traffic problem while running alongside the leaders. Avoiding Fastorslow, Townend urged Galopin Des Champs to the front with two fences remaining and led through the uphill finish to beat 6-1 runner-up Gerri Colombe by 3 1/2 lengths.

Corach Rambler, winner of the famous Grand National at 4 5/16 miles at Aintree Racecourse last April, closed from last in a field of 10 to finish third. Corach Rambler is scheduled to start in this year’s Grand National on April 13.

Four runners in the Gold Cup were pulled up when out of contention. Hewick, based in Ireland, was scratched because of soft turf. Hewick won the Eclipse Award as the champion steeplechaser of 2022, the year he won the American Grand National in New Jersey.

Galopin Des Champs, an 8-year-old gelding, has won 12 of 18 starts. Friday’s Gold Cup was his third consecutive win, all since Christmas. Galopin Des Champs, owned by Audrey Turley, is the first repeat winner of the Gold Cup since the Mullins-trained Al Boum Photo won in 2019 and 2020.

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Mullins led all trainers at Cheltenham through the four-day meeting this week, winning nine of 27 races. He is the all-time winningest trainer at the Cheltenham festival with 103 wins.

Mullins has been the leading trainer at Cheltenham the last five years and in 10 of the last 14 years.

Galopin Des Champs, a French-bred by the Sholokov stallion Timos, will be considered for the Grade 1 Punchestown Gold Cup at three miles in Ireland on May 1.

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