There was a moment last weekend, Willie Mullins said after winning the Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs on Friday, when he looked around at the senior staff in his office and said: “Is it me, or has everything gone really well with the preparations [for Cheltenham]. The ‘B’ team running at home seemed to all be winning, and the Festival team seemed to be in top order.”
It was not him. Once again, Mullins’s horses have, with only a handful of exceptions, carried all before them this week to make their trainer the first to saddle 100 winners at this meeting, while Galopin Des Champs straightforward success in the Festival’s showpiece event, repeating his 2023 triumph, means that Mullins is now the only trainer ever to prepare two dual winners of the Gold Cup.
It is only five years since Mullins celebrated his first Gold Cup win with Al Boum Photo with an equal mix of delight and relief, after saddling no fewer than six runners-up. Al Boum Photo, like Galopin Des Champs, followed a year later, but was third in 2021 when attempting to become only the fifth horse ever to win the race three times.
If his winning performance is any guide, however, Galopin Des Champs will have an outstanding chance to succeed where Al Boum Photo failed if he returns to Cheltenham in peak form in 12 months’ time.
Paul Townend, Mullins’s stable jockey, rode the winner with immense confidence, happy to sit three wide for much of the way to keep his horse out of trouble. His jumping was all but flawless throughout and the only moment of concern for Mullins and the punters who backed Galopin Des Champs down to 10-11 favourite at the off was when Fastorslow, the third-favourite, unseated JJ Slevin on the second circuit and continued riderless near the head of the field.
Townend, though, was well placed to keep a close eye on the loose horse, and having jumped past L’Homme Presse to take the lead two out, he stayed on strongly to the line, beating Gerri Colombe by three-and-a-half lengths with Corach Rambler, last year’s Grand National winner, back in third.
Mullins’s thoughts were turning towards a treble attempt almost before horse and rider had returned to unsaddle. Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate are the only previous three-time winners in the history of a race that celebrated its 100th anniversary on Friday, and Galopin Des Champs is on offer at just 5-2 to be the fifth horse on the list.
“We’ll aim just to have him back here for the Gold Cup, so fingers crossed,” Mullins said.
“The loose horse was the big concern, because Paul’s body language was telling me that he was travelling so well. I was wondering, is this an English or an Irish loose horse coming up, but anyway, all good.
“Al Boum Photo was a different type of horse, he was a pure galloper who would stay all day. This one has a bit of class, he can gallop all day but he still has that class to pull out a bit more at the end.”