Galopin Des Champs gained compensation for his unlucky fall at the Cheltenham Festival with an immaculate jumping performance to win the Grade 1 Boylesports Gold Cup Novice Chase.

The 2-11 favourite made all the running under a motionless Paul Townend and he was never seriously challenged, quickening 18 lengths clear of Master McShee for a facile victory. 

There was a small disagreement between Townend and the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old at the final fence but it did little to detract from another exuberant display.

Watch again: Galopin Des Champs immaculate at Fairyhouse

Mullins said: ”I reckon he’s a Gold Cup horse. I have to discuss that with Greg and Audrey [Turley, owners] yet but he looks a horse for the Gold Cup.

“Paul rode him differently down to the first than he did at Cheltenham and that made a big change. To me it looked an ordinary pace and it looked like the other two elected to challenge him over the last three fences.

“Once he changed gear between the last two it was over bar jumping the last. He just seemed to be on a wrong stride and Paul let the horse decide. He put down lovely and got over it. He quickened away after the last and he couldn’t pull him up going around the bend.”

Townend told Racing TV: ”He was relaxed and like at Leopardstown, he took on his fences and was letting fly. Today he was dancing in front of them and it was all over a really good performance.”

On the small scare at the final flight, he added: “It was after giving him a squeeze at the second-last, we were very long at the last so it was kind of, ‘keep the revs up but sort yourself out’. 

“He’d given me that feeling the whole way round, that he was looking at what he was doing and sorting himself out. I was just praying I was on his back at the end of it.” 

Galopin Des Champs remains an unchanged 4-1 chance for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Paddy Power and Betfair and Ruby Walsh was very upbeat on his chances. 

Walsh said: “The Gold Cup is the dream for everybody, that’s what people buy horses for, and I think this fella is the Gold Cup horse we have.”

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fonte : RacingPost