It’s one of the curious things about horse racing that you can look back on Cheltenham 2022 and make a fair argument that the best performance of the Festival was in defeat. Sure, there were big winners and big performances aplenty, but it’s difficult not to be impressed with how Galopin Des Champs made a mockery of Bob Olinger in the Turners’ Novices Chase – well, at least right up until the final fence when he and Paul Townend somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

But as we know, such was the speed and stamina shown by Willie Mullins’ charge that bookies almost unanimously made Galopin Des Champs favourite for the 2023 Gold Cup. A little bit reactionary, some might say, but it was the kind of move reserved for only the most special of horses; and in Galopin Des Champs, we all have seen something special.