Gold Cup with Galopin des Champs

Punchestown, Wednesday, 26 April: On the second day of the steeplechase festival at Punchestown, the Gold Cup (5th race/18.55 hrs/300,000 euros/4938 m) stands out. Galopin des Champs (Paul Townend), still unbeaten on this course, enters as the clear favourite.

Three wins this season and four in a row clearly speak for the seven-year-old trained by Willie Mullins, who most recently defeated Bravemansgame (Harry Cobden), also a first-class runner, by seven lengths in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The renewed duel could see Envoi Allen (Rachael Blackmore), who corrected his poor running in the King Georges VI Chase (Group 1/winner Bravemansgame) at Cheltenham where he pinned the Ryanair Chase (Group 1) to his banner. Hewick (Jordan Gainford), Fury Road (Mark Walsh) and Fastorslow (J. Slevin) complete the six-strong field with outside chances.