The staying chasers took centre stage on Day 2 of the Punchestown Festival, as a small but select field tackled the 3m1f and 18 fences of the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Offering a very tidy €300,000 in prize money, the Grade 1 event counts the names of Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Kicking King, War Of Attrition, Don Cossack, and Sizing John on a star-studded roll of honour. Bidding to join them on that list in 2025 was a horse who, until very recently, was universally recognised as the king of the division.
Dethroned at Cheltenham: Could Galopin Des Champs Bounce Back?
With 11 Grade 1 wins to his name, including the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs headed to Prestbury Park in 2025 bidding to join Arkle and Best Mate as three-time winners of the most prestigious chase of the season.
Arriving at Cheltenham having been labelled the greatest chaser ever to hail from the Willie Mullins yard – by no less a judge than Mullins himself – Galopin Des Champs proceeded to cruise into contention, hit the front two from home, and fade uncharacteristically to finish 6l adrift of impressive winner Inothewayurthinkin. Things rarely go to script in this racing game.
Given that disappointment, it must have been tempting to allow Galopin Des Champs to put his feet up for the year. Instead, he headed to the biggest festival of the Irish National Hunt season. Could he rediscover the winning thread a little closer to home? Recent evidence suggested possibly not. Whilst successful in his first two outings at Punchestown, Galopin Des Champs’ record at the County Kildare track since 2023 read 2323, with two of those defeats coming in this event.
Talented Trio Provide Opposition
On the plus side for Galopin Des Champs, he didn’t have his 2023 and 2024 conqueror Fastorslow to worry about this year. However, even in the absence of the Martin Brassil star, this assignment looked far from easy on paper, with the following talented trio completing the four-runner field.
- Banbridge – Joseph O’Brien has yet to win the Punchestown Gold Cup but looked to have his best chance yet with this nine-year-old son of Doyen. Whilst failing to get involved in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Banbridge had previously announced himself as a staying chaser to reckon with when running down Il Est Francais to claim the King George VI Chase at Kempton. A perfect two from two at Punchestown, he looked set to go well for J J Slevin
- Spillane’s Tower – Having skipped the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals, this James Joseph Mangan runner had freshness on his side. A dual Grade 1 winner with three victories at the track, he carried the famous green and gold silks of JP McManus
- Monty’s Star – Long held in high regard by trainer Henry De Bromhead, this giant of a horse was yet to hit the hoped-for heights. However, the suspicion was that we hadn’t seen the best of him yet. Fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, could he be ready to step into the big time?
Galopin Simply Sensational
On paper, it was all set to be a competitive race. In reality, it quickly turned into a one-sided demolition job. Pushed straight into the lead by Paul Townend, Galopin Des Champs’ only moment of concern came when spooked by a path which crosses the course close to the seventh fence.
Having recovered from that mini ordeal, the brilliant chaser found his best stride, galloping and jumping remorselessly as, one by one, his rivals cracked under the pressure. As early as the third last fence, it was merely a question of how far he would win by. A yawning 22 lengths was the answer, as the back-to-form champ made it a round dozen Grade 1 wins in devastating fashion.
Gold Cup Number Three in 2026?
It was impossible not to be impressed with this performance as Galopin Des Champs crossed the line to rapturous applause. Those closest to the horse added their voices to the acclaim in the aftermath of the race. Mullins waxed:
“I thought some of his performances in Leopardstown were spectacular and in Cheltenham, but that was a hell of a performance to do what he did there.”
Townend then perhaps summed it up best when simply stating:
“We’re very, very lucky to have him”.
Could Galopin Des Champs reclaim his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown in 2026? He is now a general 5/1 chance to do just that following this exhilarating effort and barring injury, that may offer some real value.