GALOPIN DES CHAMPS and Paul Townend powered clear of Bravemansgame to justify favouritism and land the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, giving Willie Mullins chasing’s blue riband for a third time in five years.
In an eventful renewal, Ahoy Senor set a searching gallop until getting too close to the sixth fence from home and crumpling on landing.
Townend had bided his time, tracking the early pace before getting into contention coming down the hill, tailing Protektorat, Bravemansgame and Hewick, who had been left in front.
He crashed through the third-last, which almost cost him the race, but quickly recovered and by the time American Grand National hero Hewick had come to grief two out, Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs had gone upsides Harry Cobden and the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame.
Both jumped the last on a good stride, but the King George winner could not find the same turn of foot as Townend drew clear.
Galopin Des Champs (7-5 favourite) had seven lengths to spare at the line, with Conflated a further sixth and a half lengths down in third.
Mullins said: “I didn’t realise the pressure I was under. I’m absolutely delighted for Audrey Turley (owner), Paul was under huge pressure too and gave him a peach of a ride.
“The plan was to drop him in and come through, I said to him ‘I think you’re on the best horse, the fastest horse, so as long as he doesn’t get running with you just tuck him in somewhere and put him asleep’ – and he did.
“It just worked out, he gave him a brilliant, cool ride. Everyone was questioning the distance and his stamina, they were going to make it plenty fast so I didn’t want him up there in the early exchanges.
“If he has the class, he’ll come through, if he hasn’t then there’s no point. I think that man on board, when the pressure comes on, he’s very good.”
Townend – like Mullins winning this third Gold Cup – said: “It was messy for me – I couldn’t get a clean passage early, and he started jumping in the air a little bit, but when I got a bit of room, in fairness to him he came back into a rhythm with me and was very, very brave.
“I think he got me out of a fair hole, to be honest – I was a lot further back than I wanted to be, but it was just the ride I had to give him.
“The Gold Cup brings winning to a different level. Cheltenham is very important, but the Gold Cup just has that little bit more spice to it.”
