'It's the ideal starting point' - Patrick Mullins excited for Galopin return

Patrick Mullins believes Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.00) will be the "ideal starting point" for Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs as Closutton prepares to unleash two of its biggest stars this weekend.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Energumene is also among the entries on Sunday in the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase at Cork (2.20), a race he won 12 months ago under Sean O'Keeffe, so it promises to be a big day for two of Willie Mullins' heavyweight chasers.

Galopin Des Champs is a best-priced 11-4 for the Gold Cup having impressed in his novice campaign last term, winning three of his four outings by a combined 49 lengths including top-level triumphs at the Dublin Racing Festival and the BoyleSports Gold Cup Novice Chase at Fairyhouse when last seen in April.

The exciting six-year-old would be unbeaten over fences had it not been for a dramatic final-fence fall when clear of Bob Olinger in the Turners Novices' Chase in March and could improve his trainer's stunning record in the €85,000 Punchestown contest.

Mullins has won the 2m4½f Grade 1 a record eight times with seven of those wins coming in the last nine runnings. The stable also have the National Hunt Chase winner Stattler and Haut En Couleurs entered at this stage.

"This has been a lucky race for us in the past," the trainer's son said of the Grade 1. "It looks an ideal starting point for Galopin Des Champs and we've been very happy with him at home. Hopefully he can continue where he left off last year.

Energumene (left) and Galopin Des Champs are both set to return on Sunday

"The race is probably a little bit on the short side for Stattler but options are limited and it will be a nice place to get his season up and running and work forward from there.

"Haut En Couleurs is obviously a good bit wrong at the ratings but we will take a closer look at the race in the coming days and we'll see if he runs or not."

There are eight entries in all, with the Gigginstown pair Conflated and Fury Road representing the in-form Gordon Elliott. Fakir D'Oudairies, a winner of two Grade 1s over similar intermediate trips last season, could attempt to improve on his fourth-placed effort last year for Joseph O'Brien, while Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up French Dynamite and Vanillier complete the list.

Willie Mullins has also given last year's brilliant Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Appreciate It the option of making his debut over fences in the 2m1f beginners' chase at Punchestown, and he is in a similar contest over 2m4½f at Navan on Saturday.

As has been mooted, the Tony Bloom-owned Energumene looks like he will get the chance to repeat his emphatic 2021 victory in the 2m Grade 2 at Cork.

"It was obviously a perfect starting point for him last year and hopefully it can be the same again this year," Patrick Mullins said of the eight-year-old. "We've been very happy with him at home and it will be great if he could go down and put in a similar performance as he did last year."

Among six other contenders are Captain Guinness, who was a decisive winner of the Fortria Chase at Navan last month for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, and Paddy Corkery's Grade 1-winning novice chaser Master McShee.

Energumene is a best-priced 6-4 to repeat his Champion Chase success with last Saturday's stunning Tingle Creek winner Edwardstone nearest in the betting at a general 3-1.

John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.00 Punchestown, Sunday)

Paddy Power: 1-2 Galopin Des Champs, 5 Conflated, Fakir D'Oudairies, 12 Stattler, 14 Fury Road, 20 French Dynamite, 25 Haut En Couleurs, 33 Vanillier

Hilly Way Chase (2.20 Cork, Sunday)

Paddy Power: 2-7 Energumene, 10-3 Captain Guinness, 7 Master McShee, 10 Epson Du Houx, 25 Factorslow, 33 Born By The Sea, Global Equity

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