The mood music around the Willie Mullins stable was unusually downbeat on Saturday morning, with three winners from 47 starters over the first two days of the Christmas programme. It was significantly more up-tempo by the end of the afternoon after a Grade One double that included a deeply impressive return to winning form by the stable’s star steeplechaser, Galopin Des Champs.
Galopin Des Champs lined up for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, the feature event of the track’s four-day Christmas meeting, as the 5-2 joint-favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, a race he has won for the past two seasons. Alongside him in the ante-post market and Saturday’s race was Fact To File, a stable companion at the Mullins yard and the apparent leader of the second-season chasers.
The two-time Gold Cup winner had also failed to add to his Cheltenham victory in two subsequent starts – a near-facsimile of his record before the Savills Chase last season and had finished behind Fact To File over two and a half miles at Punchestown in November.
Just as it had 12 months ago, however, a return to three miles at Leopardstown allowed Galopin Des Champs to re-establish his authority in the staying chase division.
Southwell 11.05 Rebel Empire 11.35 Carbine Harvester (nap) 12.05 Dembe 12.40 Bowood 1.15 Muddy Mooy 1.50 My Mate Beattie 2.25 Gold Aura 3.35 Street Life
Doncaster 11.52 Matwana 12.27 Hurlerontheditch 1.02 Eternal Angel 1.38 Brides Hill 2.12 Chemical Warfare (nb) 2.47 Super Survivor 3.22 Willie Shake Hands
Kelso 12.18 Far From Over 12.53 Nab Wood 1.28 Ballyvango 2.03 Caithness 2.38 Bellbird 3.13 Senor Lombardy
Paul Townend, fresh from success on Banbridge in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, sent Galopin Des Champs straight into the lead, while Mark Walsh, on Fact To File, settled two or three lengths off the pace in the chasing pack. Despite a mistake at the ninth, Fact To File was still going well two out, but when Townend asked Galopin Des Champs to lengthen, the response was immediate and overwhelming.
A magnificent jump at the last sealed a seven-and-a-half-length victory as Galopin Des Champs powered further clear of Fact To File all the way to the line. He looked ready to go around again as Townend tried to pull him up, suggesting there will be better yet to come over an extra quarter-mile on Cheltenham’s uphill finish.
“That was some performance,” Mullins said. “He put in some fantastic jumps and to win the way he did, after giving the other horse a lead the whole way, was one of the best performances I have ever seen around here.
“It’s frightening to think he could still be improving and hopefully he hasn’t left his whole season behind him, but what a great day and a great atmosphere with people all around the parade ring.”
An immediate rearrangement of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting saw Galopin Des Champs cut to clear favourite at around 6-4, while Fact To File is out to 4-1 for the Gold Cup and down to 8-1 (from around 16-1) for the Ryanair Chase the previous afternoon.
Mullins’s Grade One double on the day was initiated by Impaire Et Passe in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick, after which the winning rider, Daryl Jacob, announced he will retire from race-riding after Sunday’s card at Leopardstown.
Haydock: 12.30 Schalke 1.00 Indeevar Blue 1.30 If Not For Dylan 2.00 Cream Of The West 2.35 Smart Decision 3.10 Montgomery 3.45 For Pleasure (nb).
Taunton: 12.45 Jackpot Des Bordes 1.15 Clotilda 1.45 Langley Hundred 2.17 Listentoyourheart 2.52 Tiny Tetley 3.27 School For Scandal 4.00 Baskerville.
Wolverhampton: 3.55 Charlie’s Choice 4.30 Waiting For Love 5.00 Mr Ubiquitous 5.30 Popular Dream 6.00 Banana 6.30 Autumn Angel 7.00 Crimson Sand 7.30 Ciotog (nap) 8.00 Major Major
The 41-year-old told sportinglife.com: “It’s the right decision at the right time,” adding: “I’ve worked very hard to get back from injury this season and I knew I had some good opportunities at Christmas.
“To ride Impaire Et Passe to win the Grade One, it will be very difficult to beat that now, and finishing at Leopardstown, where I won my first Grade One, feels right.”
At Newbury, meanwhile, Dan Skelton’s The New Lion, at 9-4, won what had appeared to be a highly competitive renewal of the Grade One Challow Hurdle in little more than a canter, coming home nearly five lengths clear of Wendigo under a hand ride by Harry Skelton.
The New Lion is likely to go straight to the Turners Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham and is around 3-1 (from 16-1) to break a run of Irish-trained winners that stretches back to 2017.
