Galopin Des Champs goes the extra furlong to join racing royalty

Galopin Des Champs joined Jodami, Florida Pearl and Beef Or Salmon as a three-time winner of the Grade 1 Paddy Power Gold Cup on the opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday last.

A crowd just shy of 18,500 flocked to the Dublin venue to recognise one of jump racing’s greats and he didn’t let them down with another powerful and resounding performance at odds of 1/2 favourite with his own stable companions Grangeclare West and Fact To File taking the second and third spots respectively.

Audrey Turley’s nine-year-old was serenaded into the winner’s enclosure to strains of ‘Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!’ with jockey Paul Townend conducting.

It was a 14th triumph in the race for trainer Willie Mullins, who bagged three of the day’s four Grade 1 race and labelled Galopin Des Champs the best chaser he’d ever trained.

Final Demand, the Bryan Drew and Professor Caroline Tisdall-owned 11/8 favourite, got proceedings off to the perfect start for the champion trainer and Townend with a 12-length victory in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

Mark Walsh was in the saddle as the Mullins-trained 8/11 favourite Majborough scored a nine-length success in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase for owner JP McManus.

Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue shared their first Grade 1 success together as the four-year-old Hello Neighbour, an 85/40 chance, won the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle.

It was a first Grade 1 in Ireland for the winning trainer since since December 2020 and it came in the colours of owner Patrick Sheanon.