Gold Cup Winner 2023
Winner: Galopin Des Champs
Betting Odds: 7/5f
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Owner: Mrs Audrey Turley
Sponsored by Boodles – a luxury jewellery brand – saw win prize money of £351,991.08. This Grade 1 race saw 13 horses racing over 3m 2 1/2f on going described as soft. The official winning time of 6m 45.46s (fast by 0.54s) may have indicated the surface was faster. This black gelding, born in 2016, a son of Timos out of a twice-raced mare Manon Des Champs had previous experience at the Cheltenham Festival when winning ‘readily’ the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in 2021 at odds of 8/1. He fell the following year when competing in the Turner’s Novice Chase. Looking a racing cert, some 12-lengths clear at the last fence, the odds-on shot fell. Mullins said: ‘It’s just one of those things. He was doing everything right the whole race. He landed properly and just slipped after landing.’
After this performance, it was clear Galopin Des Champs was the top novice chaser around. But was this free-going horse a little too brave?
4th February: Galopin Des Champs wins the Irish Gold Cup, soon led, ridden clear final 110yds, kept on well to win by 8-lengths. Mullins said: ‘I was amazed that the press were doubting the fact he had never won over 3-miles over fences. He had won over 3-miles as a novice over hurdles which is way harder than doing it over fences. What I love is that he’s settling, he’s not keen. That’s crucial for tactics going forward.’
However, not everyone was so convinced and Paddy Power eased him from 11/8 – 7/4 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting.
Could this impressive gelding follow in the hoof prints of Al Boum Photo who had won for trainer and jockey in 2019 and 2020?
17th March 2023 –
3:30 Cheltenham – Boodles Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
Almost 70,000 spectators waited in anticipation.
A quality renewal with depth.
Galopin Des Champs (7/5f) was held up in rear behind early leader Ahoy Senor. With 22 fences, Paul Townend was in no hurry and careful not to let the horse race off the bridle. However, he wasn’t fluent at the 5th. The race continued in earnest as the crowd waited for the latter stages of this Grade 1 race. Ahoy Senor fell at the 17th, which saw Royale Pagaille hampered, Sounds Russian brought down and Hewick left in the lead. Although some of Galopin Des Champs jumping was a ‘little scruffy’ he never looked like falling. The seven-year-old, and youngest in the field, looked in good form. He was full of running when taking it up at the last. He finished strong up the hill winning by 7-lengths from Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame (6/1) and a further 6 1/2-lengths behind in third, Conflated (22/1) trained by Gordon Elliott. Previous winners, (2021) Minella Indo (20/1), was pulled up with one circuit to go. While (2022) A Plus Tard was pulled up before 3 out.
Seven horses completed the course.
Mullins said: ‘He has that little bit of class and speed when you want it. The whole key today was not to let him get running early on in the race. He would have got too free otherwise. He was not a runaway, he was just keen. ‘
‘It’s just so unbelievable and wonderful.’
Galopin Des Champs went on to win the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He finished runner-up to Iknowthewayurthinkin in 2025, beaten by 6-lengths at odds of 8/13f.