In dazzling sunshine, steeplechasing’s brightest star Galopin Des Champs lit up the Punchestown Festival on Wednesday with a special success in the €300,000 Ladbrokes Gold Cup.
The Willie Mullins-trained star bounced back from failing to land a Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick seven weeks previously and put a trio of rivals firmly in their place with a performance rapturously acclaimed by an official 23,285 attendance.
Following two previous runner-up finishes in the race to Fastorslow, it completed a full set of Gold Cup prizes for Galopin, who made all the running to beat Spillane’s Tower by 22 lengths.
After a trio of Irish Gold Cups at Leopardstown and his pair of ‘Blue Riband’ victories at Cheltenham, the Punchestown variety completed a ‘Triple Crown’ famously achieved in a single season by Sizing John in 2017.
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That horse’s time in the spotlight was brief. But Galopin Des Champs’ capacity to keep rolling on season after season is turning him into singular cherished talent.
Led by a piper into the winner’s enclosure and a massive reception, the claim that he may be the best Irish chaser since Arkle looked no exaggeration.
And if it was all tinged with a hint of ‘if only’ about his surprise defeat by Inothwayurthinkin in March, there was renewed conviction too that next year may be when Galopin Des Champs joins Arkle as a triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
“Cheltenham was Cheltenham and we were beaten, but horses get beaten,” Mullins said. “There’s always next year and he’s only nine coming 10. He’s still young enough to go and have another go.”
The champion trainer was hardly going to say so, but the immediate suspicion was if this version of Galopin had turned up at Cheltenham the hat-trick would be in the bag already.
Plainly never happy at most any point on his last start, he was a transformed proposition on home ground.
Mullins admitted to concern about drying ground conditions beforehand, around a track where the horse had won just once over fences. But he made light of it all, travelling enthusiastically and adopting a swaggering catch-me-if you-can attitude to his three opponents.
Paul Townend’s only moment of worry was when the 5-6 favourite briefly shied at a road crossing. And when Spillane’s Tower blundered four out, it quickly became clear any talk about a Punchestown hoodoo was for the birds.
“Men and boys – what a horse,” praised Ruby Walsh on RTÉ about a star now with 12 Grade One prizes in a stellar career that shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.
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“We were disappointed in Cheltenham, but in hindsight he ran a huge race to get as far as he did, the feel I was getting off him,” Townend said. “It’s simple, he’s so easy to ride, he is so measured at his fences and if he goes, it’s just so straightforward on him.”
In the circumstances, nothing else was getting a look in at the spotlight bar Galopin, despite Mullins saddling a 296-1 five-timer on the day.
All three Grade One prizes went to Mullins – taking him to eight winners already this week – and for the second year in a row day two of the festival featured sibling Grade One glory for both Townend and his sister Jody.
She completed Cheltenham-Punchestown Bumper double in style on Bambino Fever who quickened off a slow pace far too well for her opposition.
It all but assured Townend of a fifth champion Lady Rider title in a row when the season ends on Saturday, and followed up her victory in the €100,000 contest a year ago on Redemption Day.
Just why her brother will collect a seventh jockeys’ championship was underlined in a dramatic Channor Champion Novice Hurdle victory for the favourite Jasmin De Vaux.
The former bumper champion’s approach to jumping this season has been remedial at times and Townend was patience itself until launching a challenge on his big rival Honesty Policy at the last.
A first ask for a major jump actually yielded too extravagant a leap that saw the 13-8 favourite land steeply, resulting in his rider losing both his balance and his right iron.
Townend admitted to feeling “a bit stupid” having to improvise and explained: “My right foot slipped out and instead of trying to get it back I kicked out the other one. It was the fastest option.”
Mullins praised Townend’s jockeyship on board a horse with a huge engine but a rudimentary jumping technique.
Quite what Bambino Fever’s technique will be over obstacles remains to be seen but she’s the undisputed bumper champion of this season.
“It wasn’t as fast a race as we thought it was going to be and she was still able to quicken off it,” the trainer said. “I’m really looking forward to going jumping, the way she is bred.”
Kaid D’authie and James Du Berlais in the €100,000 handicap chase completed the Mullins five-timer.
Wednesday’s Gold Cup attendance of 23,285 was over 1,600 up on last year’s 21,652.
