Cheltenham Gold Cup 2024

At his press conference following the victory of Galopin Des Champs in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, winning trainer Willie Mullins suggested that there might be “a little bit of improvement” left in his then-seven-year-old. So it proved in the 2023/24 season, with Galopin Des Champs winning the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, both at Leopardstown, with a mininum of fuss, en route to another crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 15, 2024.

At Cheltenham, he was sent off 10/11 favourite against 10 rivals, the pick of which, according to the bookmakers, were Gerri Colombe, whom Galopin Des Champs had beaten 23 lengths in the Savills Chase, at 13/2, whom he had beaten 4½ lengths in the Irish Gold Cup. The defending champion looked a ‘good thing’ on paper and so it proved in the race itself. Always prominent, Galopin Des Champs led two fences from home, took a three-length advantage at the last and maintained it all the way to the finish line. Gerri Colombe could make no impression on the run-in and finished second, nine-and-a-half lengths ahead of 2023 Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

Fastorslow unseated rider at the sixteenth fence, before the race began in earnest, and only six of the 11 runners completed the course. L’Homme Presse weakened approaching the final fence to finish fourth, Bravemansgame, second in 2023, finished fifth and Jungle Boogie sixth, after failing to recover from a bad mistake at the third-last fence.