Galopin Des Champs goes for a famous Gold Cup double - but what does Willie Mullins make of his chances?

Willie Mullins has once again ruled Cheltenham but no race matters more to the sport's pre-eminent trainer than the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. In Galopin Des Champs, he has a defending champion who is red-hot favourite to retain the crown.

Having waited years to break his Gold Cup duck, Mullins has now scooped three of the last five runnings. As good as dual winner Al Boum Photo was, Galopin Des Champs is better, as he made clear when storming seven lengths clear of Bravemansgame under Paul Townend this time last year.

That performance gave Audrey Turley's eight-year-old a second festival success, two years after he proved a handicap blot in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle and 12 months on from his dramatic final-fence fall when clear in the Turners Novices' Chase.

Although twice beaten by Fastorslow since landing jumping's most prestigious prize, Galopin Des Champs returns to Cheltenham after two imperious Leopardstown triumphs, in which Fastorslow and Gerri Colombe were made to look wholly inferior.

"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."

Assessing former Brown Advisory Novices' Chase winner Monkfish, who runs over fences for the first time since April 2021, Mullins said: "When he won at Gowran everyone started talking about the Stayers' Hurdle, but his work coming up to the festival has been so good that I felt we should go for the Gold Cup. If he is ever going to win the Gold Cup, it has to be this year, so we want to give him that opportunity."

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Cheltenham Gold Cup

By Tom Park, audience editor

Galopin Des Champs is an obvious contender for bet365's Super Boost here so those who fancy the defending champion should look out for that. I was keen to take him on before the rain came and when Shishkin was in the race, but think he is definitely the one to beat now. However, bet365 are offer four places, BOG and Price Promise so they are the ones to bet with whoever you're backing here. With four places on offer, I like the look of L'Homme Presse.

• RP Recommends: bet365

Brassil hopes wind op will help Fastorslow

Fastorslow has emerged triumphant in two of his four meetings with Galopin Des Champs, but he was brushed aside when the pair met most recently at Leopardstown. The big-race second favourite seeks rapid revenge, with connections believing a wind operation may boost his prospects.

Verdicts over Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan Memorial Chase were preceded by an excellent effort at Cheltenham, where Fastorslow was touched off in the Ultima Handicap Chase when attempting to concede 4lb to Corach Rambler.

Twelve months on, the Sean and Bernardine Mulryan-owned chaser is upgraded to the Gold Cup having finished four and a half lengths behind Galopin Des Champs at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Fastorslow seeks to continue his impressive progression in the Cheltenham Gold CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"He is a decent horse but this will be the biggest test of his career," said trainer Martin Brassil of JJ Slevin's mount.

"I really don't know how he will get on because it really depends on what the ground is like and how the race is run. I don't want any rain because the better the ground, the better his chance. I also think an honest, true-run race would help him."

Brassil also hopes wind surgery since the Irish Gold Cup will help the eight-year-old.

"It wasn't invasive, just a palate cautery, something they do to stiffen the palate," said Brassil. "Nothing emerged in the Irish Gold Cup, it's just something I do routinely. There is no downside to it."

Asked if there could be some upside, Brassil added: "We'll only find out tomorrow, I suppose."

Elliott believes Gerri can bounce back at Cheltenham

No fewer than 23 lengths separated Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe at Leopardstown over Christmas but Gordon Elliott has always been adamant the Cheltenham Gold Cup should bring out the best in a young chaser who went so close to festival success last year.

The Robcour-owned eight-year-old failed by just a short head to overhaul The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, yet that run was followed by an easy win at Aintree and a battling victory in Down Royal's Ladbrokes Champion Chase. What we then saw from Gerri Colombe was much less positive but Elliott is happy to forgive that blip.

Gerri Colombe (far side) came within a short-head of beating The Real Whacker at Cheltenham last yearCredit: Grossick Racing

"I don't think that was the real Gerri Colombe in the Savills at Christmas," said Elliott. "In another stride or two he would have been caught for second and that's not him. He has spent his whole life hitting the line hard. His last furlong is always his best one, but it wasn't at Leopardstown.

"We've freshened him up and there has been one date and one date only in his diary all season – March 15. We've trained him specifically for this and we think the track and trip will really suit him. I'm also starting to think nicer ground might suit him."

Elliott – a Gold Cup winner with Don Cossack eight years ago – added: "We're under no illusions and know he has a mountain to climb to make up the 23 lengths on Galopin Des Champs, but I do think we will get a good deal closer to him. He looks terrific, too."

'Soar like eagles' – L'Homme Presse owner sends inspiring message to Deutsch

In the absence of Shishkin, a French-bred horse with a very French name is Britain's best chance of keeping the Gold Cup at home. That's what the betting market suggests and it's what L'Homme Presse's joint-owner Andy Edwards believes.

Edwards bought the horse when he was sidelined with a leg injury, confident his patience would be rewarded. It most certainly has been, with L'Homme Presse – whose name translates as "the busy man" – having subsequently won a host of valuable prizes, including the 2022 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Another setback forced the now nine-year-old to miss last year's Cheltenham Festival but he has returned in excellent heart and bids to give Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch a first taste of Gold Cup glory.

L'Homme Presse wins the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham FestivalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Edwards pays much attention to the mental and emotional wellbeing of his horses – and also his jockeys.

"I'm still calm but very excited at the same time," said the forward-thinking owner. "I had a chat with Charlie the other day and said to him, ‘You know I never give you any instructions or interfere, but I’m going to say something this time. 

"We believe in you, we believe in Venetia and we believe in this horse. Be positive, free as a bird, connect with him and both of you will soar like eagles.

"I told him there was no pressure – and he told me he appreciated me saying that.”

Assessing L'Homme Presse's prospects, Edwards added: "Everything is in his favour. I think he is the one horse who could potentially beat Galopin Des Champs, simply because they haven't yet raced against each other. My faith in this horse has been unwavering and unstoppable all the way through.

"Venetia would say he has a chance. I would say he has a very good chance. I really do think he is a cracking each-way bet."

Corach Rambler seeks festival hat-trick on way back to Aintree

Golden Miller and L'Escargot are the only two horses to have won the Grand National and Gold Cup. Last year's Aintree hero Corach Rambler seeks to become the third.

Although a long way adrift of his major rivals on paper, Derek Fox's mount has persuasive claims having shown his fondness for Cheltenham with back-to-back victories in the Ultima Handicap Chase.

He returns to the festival having not run since finishing third in the Betfair Chase and with connections already looking forward to his defence of the Randox-backed Grand National, for which he is sharing favouritism with most bookmakers.

Grand National hero Corach Rambler returns to Cheltenham for a first tilt at the Gold CupCredit: Grossick Racing

Trainer Lucinda Russell said: "If the ground turned heavy, I wouldn't be keen to run him. He is in great form but I don't want to give him a hard race because the aim is the National. Having said that, you don't get many opportunities to run a horse like him in the Gold Cup.

"He is 100 per cent, or certainly as close to 100 per cent as we can get him at home. I think the race might hopefully bring him on but you can't use the Gold Cup as a warm-up."

What they say

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Bravemansgame
He is in a good place and there isn't too much rain forecast, which is helpful. He has been so consistent this season, finishing second in the Charlie Hall, Betfair Chase and King George, but although he has run really well, I don't yet think he has run to his best. I do now think we've got him somewhere near his best but I know he has it all to do. If you took Galopin Des Champs out of the race, it would be one of the most open Gold Cups we've ever had, but he is a standout and, given the form of his stable this week, he is going to be hard to beat. I think we'll be doing well to finish where we did last year – anything on top of that would be a plus.

Mouse Morris, trainer of Gentlemansgame
We all have a bit to find on the figures with the favourite but our horse ran a good race at Wetherby. He is not without his problems, as you can see by the fact he hasn't run much, but he seems in good fettle.

Gary Moore, trainer of Nassalam
The more rain the better, it's as simple as that. It gives him a much better chance if the ground is proper soft, especially if the others don't handle it as well as he does. The handicapper thinks he is good enough to be running in a Gold Cup, and he's not often too far wrong. If you'd have asked me six months ago whether I thought he'd be running in the race, I'd have laughed at you, but he's earned it with his two wins at Chepstow. This is also a good race to have before the Grand National, which is our main aim.

Sam Twiston-Davies, rider of The Real Whacker
There is only one Gold Cup a season, so the trainer is trying a visor. He has got happier and happier with the horse from one race to the next, which is encouraging. He has some top-class form and, looking at his price, the dream would be to finish in the top four. Just to get a ride in the Gold Cup is tough, so to be competitive would be incredibly special.

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