Defending champion Galopin Des Champs headlines a field of 12 that have been declared for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the showpiece of jumps racing’s biggest meeting on Friday. Willie Mullins’ eight-year-old comes into this on a high after back-to-back victories at Leopardstown in separate Grade 1s and is looking to emulate stablemate Al Boum Photo by winning this race in successive years.
Mullins, who brought up his 100th winner at the Festival when Jasmin De Vaux won the Champion Bumper on Wednesday, is also represented by two-time Festival hero Monkfish, who won the 2020 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the 2021 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Plagued by injuries in the intervening years, this will be his first Festival appearance since then and his first run over fences since April 2021.
Galopin Des Champs’ dual conqueror Fastorslow is the clear second favourite for the race and will represent the owners who were successful with Lark In The Mornin in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on Tuesday. Martin Brassil’s charge won the Punchestown Gold last term and was narrowly beaten in the Ultima Handicap Chase last season by Corach Rambler. Lucinda Russell’s Grand National winner has also been declared.
Last season’s novice chasers are most strongly represented by Gerri Colombe. He was well-beaten by Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase, but comes into this fresh, while Gentlemansgame has only raced thrice over fences but downed Bravemansgame in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby at the start of this season. The grey is unexposed and could well improve though Bravemansgame’s trainer Paul Nicholls is confident his charge is overpriced as he looks to go one place better than last year.
Another of the Irish challengers is King George winner Hewick, while Jungle Boogie is an outsider for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, who are having a positive week. The home side’s challenge, meanwhile, is spearheaded by L’Homme Presse, the 2022 Brown Advisory winner, for Venetia Williams.
The field is completed by other British-trained hopefuls Nassalam, a wide-margin winner of the Welsh Grand National on heavy ground, and The Real Whacker, who sprung an upset on Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory 12 months ago.
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
- Result5th14/1
- Result3rd12/1
- Result1stEvs
- Result2nd8/1
- Result6th25/1
- Result4th11/1
