Galopin Des Champs joins Gold Cup greats by retaining Cheltenham crown

Wow, what a Festival! Got the racing bug? Claim some more free bets ahead of the traditional post-Cheltenham marathon, the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter tomorrow.
 

1. Better Days Ahead 5/1
2. Waterford Whispers 10/3F
3. Quai De Bourbon 4/1
4. Answer To Kayf 10/1

Superb ride from Danny Gilligan.

...travels nicely as they move towards the top of the hill.

...pulled his way into the lead now. He’ll really have to stay this trip after being so keen.

...Waterford Whispers is pulling a touch in third.

...Waterford Whispers and Quai De Bourbon are both handy early. Mel Monroe is up with the pace early.

...ARE OFF! As the sun shines down on Prestbury Park.

...it’s a false start.

...in the Martin Pipe. 

...I fancy Waterford Whispers in this but so do a lot of people seemingly hence his tumbling price. He’s 100/30 favourite now. Quai De Bourbon is 9/2 next-best in the market.

Reckon you’ve found the winner in the Martin Pipe? There’s still time to pick up some Cheltenham free bets with our selected bookmaker sign-up offer. 

...here we go then. The final chance to find a festival winner. Waterford Whispers is warm order to give Henry de Bromhead an end to remember but Quai De Bourbon also has a good chance for the all-conquering Wille Mullins. 

Limerick Lace is full sister to the winner of yesterday’s Kim Muir, Inothewayurethinkin. Can’t be many other occasions where full siblings have won races at the same meeting.

1. Limerick Lace 3/1
2. Dinoblue 15/8F
3. Marsh Wren 28/1

It turned into a test of stamina and that suited Limerick Lace more than runner-up Dinoblue. 

...Marsh Wren takes them off the top of the hill. They’re stacking up in behind. 

...just making a slight move forward down the back straight. 

...in front of the stands. The favoured Mullins pair are last. Waterford Whispers is fourth. 

...the first time. Marsh Wren and Instit lead. Dinoblue is held up.

...in the Mares’ Chase. Marsh Wren is the early leader.

...we’re moments away from the off in the festival’s penultimate race.

...a little more give in the ground for Limerick Lace?

...was very well backed this morning but has drifted out a touch in the pre-race market. Dinoblue is also a shade weak in the market.

Dinoblue has been banker material in the Mares’ Chase for many in the run-up to this meeting but has the ground gone against her? For my money, no. She is the best mare in this race and with some of the others having questions to answer I think she’s pretty solid atop the market. 

1. Sine Nomine 8/1
2. Its On The Line 11/8F
3. Time Leader 50/1

John Dawson should be very proud of that. The mare was blocked off coming up the inside with one to jump and was switched out late on. 

She travlled beautifully throughout and stayed on well after the last flight. 

Sine Nomine creeps closer. Its On The Line is struggling. 

Its On The Line gets a shake of the reins for the first time.

Ferns Lock still leads as they leap in front of the stands. Samcro travels smartly on the inside in midfield. 

Shantou Flyer, the 14-year-old, tracks Ferns Lock as they reach the top of the hill.

Ferns Lock makes a bad error. The rest of the jumping is solid. 

Its On The Line, Billaway and Ferns Lock lead the field away from the stands. Samcro just in behind the pace. 

...Its On The Line straight into the lead.

...the off is moments away. Ferns Lock just misbehaving a touch. Actually misbehaving alot.

Some proper old-timers in this. 

Shantou Flyer, aged 14; Billaway, aged 12; last year’s winner Premier Magic, aged 11; Samcro, aged 12. 

...is being backed again here. He’s now 11/8 and punters have clearly got a taste for backing a short-priced favourite. Can this JP McManus hot-pot oblige?

We have 10 minutes to the Huinters’ Chase and we have a warm favourite in Its On The Line, trained by another of Mullins clan, Emmet – the nephew of Willie. 

It’s On The Line for a tight field ahead of the Hunters’ Chase. Take a look at these Cheltenham betting offers if you’re sizing up a wager on the race.

He was 14/1 at the start of the day...now he’s 7/1. A back-to-back winner of something else (the Grand National) might be impending. 

Gerri Colombe might just feel he was a little hard done by by the loose horse going over the second last. He just had to check his progress and that gave Galopin Des Champs the lead he needed between the last couple. 

Corach Rambler has run a mighty race...anyone had a look at his price for the Grand National now?

Paul Townend put his hands up to the heavens after crossing the line there. That was some reaction after the sort of week he and Mullins have had. If you ever needed confirmation how big a race the Gold Cup is...

1. Galopin Des Champs 5/6F
2. Gerri Colombe 13/2
3. Corach Rambler 14/1

And we have a fitting winner. The loose horse looked to hinder Galopin Des Champs a touch but he had more than enough in the closing stages to put the race to bed.

Superb display. One of the greats. Gerri Colombe is second.

This looks Galopin Des Champs’ to lose.

Galopin Des Champs pings the fence at the top of the hill.

FASTORSLOW FALLS!

Bravemangame moved forward by Harry Cobden.

Beautiful jumps from Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe in front of the stands. Huge cheers.

Down the hill for the first time. The main challengers are all in the front bunch trailing The Real Whacker. 

The pace has settled. The Real Whacker still leads. Mistake from Monkfish back in the field. 

Grand National winner Corach Rambler is at the back. Galopin Des Champs is just third.

Mistake from Nassalam at the second. Decent pace early on.

...in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Real Whacker will lead us over the first.

...a hush falls over the packed enclosures. The calm before the storm.

...thousands of eyes transfixed on the runners. Bravemansgame has gone down to the start early. 

...now 5/6. He’s only getting shorter.

Galopin Des Champs is carrying a huge amount of money for punters here. A win would surely bring the house down.

We did not see the best of Gerri Colombe when he underperformed at Leopardstown at Christmas. Gordon Elliott thinks he’s got him in much better shape today and with the trainer having picked up a couple winners in the last two days, things are looking up. Galopin Des Champs will be tough to beat but winning back-to-back Gold Cups is no mean feat and at the prices I prefer Gerri Colombe.

The anticipation is growing now. Biggest race of the week. 

Let’s. Go...

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is finally upon us. Who are you backing? Claim some free bets for the race with one of our selected bookmaker Cheltenham betting offers.

Galopin Des Champs remains very strong atop the market at 10/11. The money really has come for him today. Gerri Colombe is next best at 13/2 but Fastorslow is seemingly friendless, having drifted out to as big as 9/1 with some firms.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is up next and there is still time for you to consult our dedicated runners and riders file to find the winner of the big race. 

...of The Jukebox Man’s owner Harry Redknapp watching the closing stages of that race. I feel your pain ‘Arry.

1. Stellar Story 33/1
2. The Jukebox Man 18/1
3. Dancing City 8/1

The Jukebox Man did all the hard work there but just ran out of gas in the final 100 yards. Tough if you backed him (me) but it was always going to be tough to win a race from the front on ground like that.

Oh how agonising for The Jukebox Man! Chinned on the line.

Readin Tommy Wrng and Gidleigh Park are just starting to pick a couple of rivals off.

The Jukebox Man still leads as the pace just lifts a little.

The field amble past the stands for the first time. The pace is low here. The ground is going to be sapping by the time they come up the hill towards the finish.

All the market principles are in the second half of the field. Gidleigh Park only has one ahead of him at present.

The Jukebox Man has a five-length lead over Stellar Story. Readin Tommy Wrong is in midfield.

...in the Albert Bartlett. Stellar Story and The Jukebox Man jump off in front, with Dancing City also pressing the pace. 

...this is going to be a proper grind for these young horses.

Readin Tommy Wrong is favourite for this at 15/8. A win for him would be three in a row for Willie Mullins on the day. Gidleigh Park and Captain Teague are well-fancied to give Britain a first winner of the day.

A winner of the board, so let’s find another one. I’ve liked the chances of Gidleigh Park in this for some time and I don’t intend to walk away from him at this point. He stayed on strongly when winning here last time and should only benefit from the step up to three miles. However, the Albert Bartlett is a race where big prices normally come to the fore, so if that’s more your flavour, I wouldn’t put you off The Jukebox Man at a big price.

Sir Alex Ferguson and the owners of L’Eau Du Sud watched their horse finish second in the County Hurdle.

Eyeing a long shot in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle? Back your inspired selection with one of these Cheltenham free bets.
 

This horse is quite remarkable...wins an Ebor at York last summer, heads to Australia to run in the Melbourne Cup (finished seventh) and then comes back to the northern hemisphere to win a County Hurdle.

There will not be many horses who ever repeat that sort of race programme with such distinction.

Willie Mullins says he’ll be surprised if we get to the end of the week seeing a better ride than that by Paul Townend. Superb stuff...

1. Absurde 12/1
2. L’Eau Du Sud 7/2F
3. Pied Piper 14/1
4. Magical Zoe 8/1

...from Paul Townend. He had to be so patient coming off the home turn, waiting for a gap to open up. He was delivered at the final flight and stayed on better than L’Eau Du Sud.

He’s won an Ebor and now a County Hurdle! Hope you followed the selection...

Afadil leads them donw the hill. L’Eau Du Sud travelling well in about fiftt place.

Afadil leads them up the hill. Little change in the order thus far. Pace not that strong.

Afadil has been given an easy lead as they pop over the third. Zentra travels well in second along with Media Naranja.

...in the County Hurdle. Afadil is up with the pace early on as are a host of McManus horses, including Zenta. 

...are gathering rapdily down at the two-mile start.

L’Eau Du Sud has been seriously well-supported. You’d never dream about taking 3/1 about a horse in a race like this but the masses have spoken...

Absurde is very well handicapped on the best of his Flat form and he should have a great chance is he handles the testing ground. Ran well behind Ballyburn and Slade Steel at Leopardstown last month and he’s worth chancing each-way at decent price. 

...runnings of the County Hurdle have gone to trainers named either Skelton or Mullins. Might be worth having a second look at both of their horses for this race before landing on a selection.

...we have the County Hurdle. A big-field handicap hurdle run on ground Mark Walsh has just described as “a proper test”. 

L’Eau Du Sud has been well-backed to give Dan Skelton and Sir Alex Ferguson another winner after Protektorat’s success in the Ryanair yesterday. So Scottish and King Of Kingsfield are also well-fancied. 

Looking to back one or more of the runners in the County Hurdle? Our guide to today’s best Cheltenham offers includes an array of free bets.

Winning rider Mark Walsh, speaks to ITV: “Not your typical juvenile hurdle. He’s a big chaser. He was a little bit keen early but I was happy just to sit on him as long as I could. He had something to aim at at the last, which helped.” 

1. Majborough 6/1
2. Kargese 4/1F
3. Salver 10/1

Mullins is back on the board! Winner number 101 at the festival.

Kargese takes the lead into the home straight...Majborough staying on.

Pace just lifting a touch as Storm Heart makes a positive move on the outside.

Favourite Storm Heart is just worse that midfield at present alongside Bunting. Nurburgring is the back marker. 

...in the Triumph Hurdle. Salver, Kargese and Fratas set the early pace. 

...real anticipation as Gold Cup day gets underway. 

Tom Stanley on Racing TV says it’s noticeably busier at Cheltenham today. That’s often the case on Gold Cup day and can mean a tough atmosphere for these younger horses to handle. On all evidence so far, they have all taken the preliminaries pretty well.

...Storm Heart was just hanging on to favouritism by has now been joined at 4/1 by stablemate Kargese. 

Well, at the end of day two, you would get no prizes for saying that Ireland was a dead cert to have the most winners. However, after a bumper day three for Britain, there might be a little bit of life in this contest yet. 

Ireland currently lead 12 to eight...

Make sure you’re across the best Cheltenham money-back specials before you decide who to back in today’s Triumph Hurdle.

Jockey Paul Townend on his Triumph Hurdle ride: “With Sir Gino coming out of this race, it has opened right up. Willie has a strong hand here and it was a huge headache for me. 

“I have gone with Storm Heart who was runner-up to Kargese at the Dublin Racing Festival. I thought he ran a little bit green that day and I think he can improve for it. His jumping has been a lot slicker at home and I just think he has the right temperament for the race and he seems to stay well. I hope I can improve past Danny on Kargese and I think I can. 

“Bunting comes into the reckoning as well; he ran a cracker behind Kargese in Dublin as well and stayed very well to win at Limerick at Christmas. Salvator Mundi is the talking horse but I thought it would be very hard for him to come here and win first time, but his form does tie in with Sir Gino in France and he goes nicely at home. 

“I hope I am on the right one but there is not a lot between some of these.”

Storm Heart is the 7/2 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, with Wille Mullins stablemates Kargese, Bunting and Majborough next-best in the market.

The lowest-priced British runner is the unbeaten Salver, who represents the Gary Moore yard.

Something tells me he’s rather used to sporting the tweed jacket/wax jacket combination...

The great trainer’s miserable week continues. He has withdrawn his best two chances of the day in Albert Bartlett hopeful Shanagh Bob and long-time Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino. Henderson just wants to get this week over and done with so he can focus on getting his string right for Aintree next month and possibly even Punchestown. He does have two runners this afternoon, with Russian Ruler and No Ordinary Joe set to run in the meeting’s closing race, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

...celebrating the win of Monmiral in yesterday’s Pertemps Final.

Right then, let’s get the day started with a winner. The Mullins quartet are dominating the marker and it’s easy to see why. However, despite the money coming for the Tony Bloom-owned Bunting, I like the chances of Nurburgring in the first. He is certain to enjoy the sapping test of stamina that this fast-run race over two miles presents and he’s drifted out to a lovely each-way price of 7/1 this morning. 

Much of the talk after the opening two days focussed on the poor displays of British-trained horses but Thursday’s action suggested there is life yet. Five out of the seven winners yesterday were trained on this side of the Irish Sea and Willie Mullins was even blocked out of the picture entirely. That said, he has three favourites on this afternoon’s card and is mob-handed in the Triumph Hurdle at 1.30 – at present the top four in the market are all trained at Closutton.

For an in-depth breakdown of all the horses running in this afternoon’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, consult our dedicated runners and riders file. You can access the latest prices as well as free bets to back the horse of your choice. 

The change in the ground has seen money come for a handful of horses this morning but none more so than Limerick Lace, who is now the 5/4 favourite (from 9/4) for the Mares’ Chase (4.50), supplanting long-time favourite Dinoblue at the head of the market. 

Elsewhere, money has also come for Bunting in the opening Triumph Hurdle. Tony Bloom’s juvenile is now as short as 13/2 (from 10/1) in some places to give trainer Willie Mullins a winning start to the day. Majborough, the favourite for that race this morning, is on the drift and now available at as big as 5/1 (from 7/2).

After overnight rain we are looking at soft, heavy in places on the chase course and heavy on the hurdles course.

Speaking at around 7.45am, clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “We’ve had 9mm of rain during racing yesterday and overnight, so now we’ve had to update the going to heavy on the hurdles course, and soft, heavy in places on the chase track.

“We’re celebrating 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and we’re looking forward to hopefully a great running today.”

Cheltenham Gold Cup day is one of the biggest betting events in the British sporting calendar. Check out our rundown of the best Gold Cup betting offers.

• 1.30: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
• 2.10: County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
• 2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• 3.30: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
• 4.10: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
• 4.50: Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
• 5.30: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Galopin Des Champs was out on the racecourse early this morning as Willie Mullins put the final touches to his string ahead of the final day of the meeting. 

For best bets as well as selections for every race on this afternoon’s card, consult Telegraph Sport’s full guide to Gold Cup day at Cheltenham. 

It is a strange reality of the Cheltenham Festival that one can spend months pouring over potential angles only for it to feel like the actual event flies past in the blink of an eye.

Well, it’s that time again. We are on the home straight for the 2024 festival, with just seven races left to enjoy before the re-load for 2025 begins.

However, we do have the small matter of the Cheltenham Gold Cup to deal with this afternoon as the meeting reaches its glorious crescendo at 3.30.

Last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs has been well-backed this morning and is now the 10/11 odds-on favourite for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, having opened this morning a shade of odds-against. 

“My owner and I are on the same wavelength,” said Mullins. “We say no matter whatever happens this year, we have one Galopin Des Champs Gold Cup on the mantelpiece already. Winning this year would be a bonus.”

Mullins added: “He was very good in the two Leopardstown races this winter but El Fabiolo in the Champion Chase showed that anything can happen.”

Mullins’ reached the astonishing total of 100 career festival winners on Wednesday when James De Vaux took the Champion Bumper under the trainer’s son, Patrick.

However he drew a blank on Thursday, with not a single of his runners finishing inside the first three in any of the seven races. Does that represent a real downturn in form or should we expect a reprisal this afternoon? You’d be brave to count on the former. 

Gordon Elliott got his first winner of the week yesterday when Teahupoo took the Stayers’ Hurdle and he’ll be hoping for the same outcome from Gold Cup hope Gerri Colombe, who also runs in the colours of Robcour racing.