Cheltenham: Paul Townend going for third Gold Cup in a row with Galopin Des Champs

The Olympics of jumps racing gets underway tomorrow with thousands descending on Presbury Park for four days of thrills at the Cheltenham Festival.

Lisgoold's Paul Townend can surpass Pat Taaffe’s record of four Gold Cup victories if Galopin Des Champs lands his third consecutive Gold Cup on Friday afternoon. 

Best Mate was the last horse to complete the three-in-a-row but that was over 25 years ago. Townend and fellow Cork man Joe Donnelly won back-to-back victories of the race with Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020 but he could only finish sixth behind A Plus Tard who landed the spoils for Rachael Blackmore in 2021. 

Galopin Des Champs has looked imperious all season and was at his brilliant best twice at Leopardstown this winter. He is odds-on favourite to deliver for Townend and the Turley family on Friday.

Townend and his boss Willie Mullins have dominated the festival in recent seasons and they look set to have another bumper week. Well-known Fermoy owner Charlie McCarthy can get them off to a flyer with the favourite Kopek Des Bordes in the opening race which has been renamed the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novice Hurdle following the tragic loss of the Lombardstown rider. 

It would certainly be an emotional start for all involved with Cork owners and a Cork Jockey involved. 

Mullins has the favourite in the Arkle with Majborough running in the colours of JP McManus who really has a stack of favourites and fancied horses throughout the week.

The Champion Hurdle promised to be the race of the meeting with the English superstar Constitution Hill trading at odds-on at present. There is a strong Irish challenge with the Gordon Elliot-trained Brighterdaysahead set to Join the Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth in a race for the ages on day one. Both Irish mares have plenty of talent but the vibes from the Nicky Henderson camp appear to be very strong. 

The Champion Chase is all about another Henderson and McManus runner Jonbon. Although he has been a superstar over fences he is yet to win at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished second to Constitution Hill in the Supreme and also finished runner-up to El Fabiola in the Arkle. Of course, he was then denied the opportunity last season when most of the Henderson horses were withdrawn due to illness.

The Stayers Hurdle is all about Gordon Elliot's Teahupoo, who is looking to complete consecutive victories in the race. 

The drying ground conditions certainly won’t be in his favour and a rejuvenated Home By The Lee looks certain to throw down a big challenge for West Cork owner Sean O’Driscoll. 

Another is the Henderson-trained Lucky Place who has been coming in for plenty of positive vibes in recent days.

CORK CONNECTIONS

There will be huge interest in the fortunes of Home By The Lee while the Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane’s Tower could run in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. 

Connections were waiting to assess the ground conditions before committing him to the race. 

The aforementioned Joe Donnelly has a number of horses running across the four days although the loss through injury of his brilliant novice chaser Sir Gino has robbed the Arkle Novice Chase of a real star.

Carrigtwohill trainer Terrence O’Brien is a hugely popular trainer and his exciting novice chaser Answer To Kayf runs in a new handicap chase over two and a half miles on Thursday. His young jockey John Shinnick is a very talented rider although the drying ground conditions are likely to go against this combination. 

Other Cork jockeys to look for across the week are Darragh O’Keeffe who will ride plenty of horses for Henry de Bromhead while Johnny Burke, Gavin Sheehan and Jody Townend will be desperately trying to occupy the famed No 1 spot in the iconic amphitheatre that is the winners' enclosure at Cheltenham.