Galopin Des Champs, the celebrated dual Cheltenham Gold Cup champion in 2023 and 2024, has been ruled out of this year’s Cheltenham Festival due to a setback during training. Trainer Willie Mullins confirmed the disappointing news, revealing that the ten-year-old gelding will miss the remainder of the racing season.
Mullins told Sporting Life, “After working very well on Thursday morning, he wasn’t right on Friday morning and will miss the Gold Cup and other spring Festivals.” This announcement ends the hopes of a three-time Gold Cup triumph for Galopin Des Champs, who was last year’s runner-up, falling short against Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin.
Owned by Audrey Turley, Galopin had aimed to join legendary horses like Arkle and Best Mate as a three-time winner. So far this season, the horse has made two starts, finishing third in both the Savills Chase — his seasonal debut — and more recently behind stablemate Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup, according to reports from the Mirror.
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With Galopin Des Champs sidelined, the Gold Cup betting market has adjusted, naming Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior as joint favorites at 7/2 odds. Other contenders include Jango Baie at 9/2 and Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man at 5/1. Meanwhile, last year’s champion Inothewayurthinkin is priced at 15/2 to defend his title.
The news comes shortly after jockey Paul Townend expressed confidence in Galopin Des Champs returning to peak form. “I know Galopin hasn’t been at his brilliant best this season, but I don’t think he’s finished yet by any stretch of the imagination,” Townend, a Betway racing ambassador, said. “He feels in great form at home, and we’re all hoping he’ll return to his peak on the biggest stage of all.
“Winning any Gold Cup is a massive achievement, but for him to go there, win a third Gold Cup, and regain his crown would be huge for everybody involved with the horse.
“It’s probably the most open Gold Cup I can remember, and there are plenty of horses in there you could make a really good case for, but if Galopin can return to his best, then he’d have a massive chance.”
The Cheltenham Festival is set to begin on Tuesday, March 10, with the prestigious Gold Cup scheduled as the fifth race on Friday, marking a key highlight of the spring racing calendar.