Willie Mullins’s star chaser stamped his authority on the race to win by four and three-quarter lengths
Leopardstown crowd show their love as Galopin Des Champs completes Irish Gold Cup hat-trick“He’s very, very special horse and he got a very special reception,” jockey Paul Townend grinned. “We have to enjoy him because horses like this are very rare.”The quartet of Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Best Mate, and the peerless Arkle represent as exclusive a section of elite talent as the sport can boast.
“Awesome,” said Mullins who missed seeing the final fence as most of the Leopardstown stands rose to acclaim the winner. “He just jumped and galloped for three miles. There’s no end to him. He’s just a real champion.”“Never before has it happened me – I jumped the last ditch and I could just feel and hear a roar from the stands that far away. I’ve ridden around here a lot and never experienced that,” the rider said.
“He goes out and takes it from the front and grabs races by the scruff of the neck and he battles off everyone,” said Mullins who saddled a big-race 1-2-3 as Grangeclare West battled back past Fact To File for third. The latter could now be aimed at the Ryanair rather than the Gold Cup. Labelled a “monster” by jockey Mark Walsh, Majborough followed up the first of Mullins’s three Grade One success on the card where Final Demand also impressed in the opening novice hurdle.
Keith Donoghue boiled his long frame down to 11st and the effort was rewarded as Hello Neighbour cruised through at the last and subsequently held off Galileo Dame by three-parts of a length. It was a third career Grade victory for the jockey.
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