Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)

OUTSTANDING chaser Galopin Des Champs delivered the most complete performance of his career to provide Willie Mullins with a remarkable 12th win in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and Paul Townend with his first.

Audrey Turley’s Cheltenham Festival-winning seven-year-old was recording his fifth success at the highest level and cemented his position at the top of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup picture, though the race sponsors eased him out to 7/4 (from 11/8) on the back of the eight-length win over stablemate Stattler.

Sent off the 30/100 favourite, Galopin Des Champs settled better than ever before and was seemingly ridden to see out his first three-mile chasing test strongly. Fury Road threw down a live challenge under Davy Russell and did the winner no favours when rolling towards his path approaching the final fence, but it ultimately appeared as though the Gordon Elliott-trained challenger failed to stay in the midst of a fine finishing effort from Galopin Des Champs.

Stattler, who appeared to briefly get outpaced when the pace lifted on the approach to the business end of the race, produced a likeable trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in his own right by staying on well to pick off Fury Road for second.

Mullins said: “It was a very professional performance from Galopin Des Champs. Paul was happy where he was throughout the race, was happy that the horse was settled coming through and said after the race that he had plenty in the tank. He was never worried at any time during the race about where he was.

“He seemed to gallop away through the line - he looks a real good horse. Hopefully we can build on that now over an extra two furlongs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. We’ll just keep him right now.

No stamina concerns

“There was never a doubt in my mind that he’d stay this trip over fences. I was amazed that the press were doubting the fact he had never won over three miles over fences. He won over three miles as a novice over hurdles, which is way harder than doing it over fences. To me, he can go four miles.

“What I love about him now is that he’s settling; he’s not keen and Paul is able to put him wherever he wants him in a race. That’s crucial, I think, for tactics going forward.

“He used to be a little keen when running over shorter trips but now he just settles and he’s able to put him to sleep. I think it’s just maturity. He’s matured in his mind and is settling into being a proper racehorse.

“We’ve had some fabulous horses win the Irish Gold Cup here. This fella is making a name for himself. He’s still young in steeplechasing terms and where he’ll be at the end of his career, we’ll see. It’s all going forward at the moment anyway. He’s only seven.

“A lot of people skip this race to go for Cheltenham but, to me, any day you can win an Irish Gold Cup it needs to be done. We have a nice timeframe from now until Cheltenham so we’re going to celebrate and enjoy this.”