Mullins labels glorious Galopin his best ever

after bumper day of high class fare on DRF’s opening day The raucous scenes of celebration at Leopardstown today will go down in the annals of horse racing, and not just because Galopin Des Champs joined Jodami, Florida Pearl and Beef Or Salmon as a three-time winner of the Grade 1 Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The crowds flocked to the Dublin venue to recognise one of jump racing’s all-time greats and he didn’t let them down with another powerful and resounding performance at odds of 1/2f.

Audrey Turley’s nine-year-old was serenaded into the winner’s enclosure to strains of ‘Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé!’ with jockey Paul Townend conducting.

It was a 14th triumph in the race for trainer Willie Mullins, who bagged three of the day’s four Grade 1s and labelled Galopin Des Champs the best he’d ever trained, as Day One of Dublin Racing Festival really delivered.

Final Demand (11/8f) got proceedings off to the perfect start for the champion trainer and Townend with a 12-length victory in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

Majborough (8/11f) was described as “a monster” by Mark Walsh after delivering Mullins’ second top-flight triumph in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase with nine lengths to spare.

Like Townend, Walsh was recording a double, having delivered Percival Legallois (15/2) late to score in the Listed Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle.

The other Grade 1 of the day went the way of the exciting Hello Neighbour (85/40) in the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle. This was Gavin Cromwell’s first in Ireland since December 2020, while it was a third for jockey Keith Donoghue and first since he began working for the Danestown handler.

Sean O’Keeffe did the steering on An Peann Dearg (8/1) for Paul Nolan in the Listed Ryanair Handicap Chase, while the concluding Grade 2 Paddy Power Play Card Bumper went the way of the Noel Meade-trained Colcannon (9/2), who swooped over the top in trademark Derek O’Connor fashion to prevail.

With due respect to the other six winners, the day was all about the premier chaser on the planet.

Townend (as per earlier bulletin) spoke eloquently about the rarity of the type of reception Galopin Des Champs got and revealed that he could hear the excitement from the stands while jumping out in the country.

The margin of victory over stablemate Grangeclare West was only four and three-quarter lengths, but it was far more definitive than that, with another Closutton resident Fact Or File just being run out of the runner-up position.

Mullins hailed his scintillating champion.

“Paul has huge faith in him and said he was just going to jump out and go with him,” Mullins revealed.

“I thought we might make it with Embassy Gardens. There were four or five upsides him jumping the first but he had burned them off by the time he got to the third.

“He just jumped and galloped for three miles and it didn’t look like he was stopping coming up to the winning post. He’s just a real champion.

“They were all taking him on, they were plenty of horses up there and there was no diminishing the pace at all during the whole race. It was an out-and-out stayers’ race.

“I was focused on the race and getting over the last and everyone in front of me in the stands stood up so I couldn’t see so I was trying to watch the television. I was trying to watch and see if there was something coming out of the clouds, but sure enough when I got to see him again he was clear.

“I thought Fact To File would be a bit closer, but Mark (Walsh) was happy that he had settled well and was going to leave him settled and have one go at him, and that’s what he did. He only finished third in the end.” 

Asked if Audrey Turley’s son of Timos was the best he had trained, he replied in the affirmative.

“He has to be, you’d have to say that. Hurricane Fly is there and it’s going to be hard to beat his record. This is the best chaser I’ve trained and Hurricane Fly the best hurdler.

“Everyone loves Audrey, who owns him. She wears her heart on her sleeve and she’s wonderful. People see how much she enjoys the horse and I think that reflects the way they feel for her as well.

“He goes out and takes it from the front and grabs races by the scruff of the neck and he battles off everyone.” 

Nolan expressed delight for his owners after An Peann Dearg galloped to a seven-length success over My Mate Mozzie in the Ryanair Handicap Chase.

“It’s great for Jim and Sonja (Buckley),” Nolan said. “They are very important people in the yard and it’s great to have them here and win a big pot.

“He travelled well, something similar to the last day, but he probably hit the line a little bit stronger.” 

Colcannon was coming into the concluding bumper after justifying strong market support in Galway last October.

"We always thought he was fairly useful,” said Meade.

“When he went to Punchestown and the mare (Sixandahalf) beat him, we felt he was gone at that stage.

“The whole intention after he won his bumper was to go jumping with him, but the schooling just wasn’t going the way I wanted it to go. Unfortunately, he’s not qualified for Cheltenham but I think he’s okay for Punchestown, so we’ll probably plan for that.” END OF COPY