Galopin Des Champs (foaled 12 May 2016) is a French-bred Irish-Trained

thoroughbred racehorse The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

competing in National Hunt racing. He won the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, ridden by his regular jockey Paul Townend.

Background

Galopin Des Champs is a black gelding who was bred in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

by Hubert Bunel, under the nom de plume of G A E C Des Champs. He was sired by Timos and his dam is Manon Des Champs.

Racing career

2020/21 season

On 17 May 2020, Galopin Des Champs won on debut in his native

Auteuil Auteuil may refer to: Places * Auteuil, Oise, a commune in France * Auteuil, Paris, a neighborhood of Paris ** Auteuil, Seine, the former commune which was on the outskirts of Paris * Auteuil, Quebec, a former city that is now a district within ...

before he was sold to Mrs Audrey Turley in November 2020 and was transferred to the yard of Willie Mullins in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. His first win for Mullins came in the

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle is a National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain for conditional jockeys which is open to horses aged four years or older. I ...

at the

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Rac ...

on 19 March 2021, which was followed with a victory in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at

Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish National ...

on 28 April 2021.

2021/22 season

In his second season, Galopin Des Champs won the

Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase The Dr P. J. Moriarty Novice Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older ...

Leopardstown Leopardstown () is a suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. Located at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, it is a residential suburb with institutional lands and a large racecourse. It is di ...

on 6 February 2022, but fell at the final fence while leading in the

Golden Miller Novices' Chase The Golden Miller Novices' Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Turners Novices' Chase, is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the N ...

at the Cheltenham Festival on 17 March 2022, handing victory to Bob Olinger. He finished the season with a victory in the Boylesports Gold Cup at

Fairyhouse Fairyhouse Racecourse is a horse racing venue in the Republic of Ireland. It is situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 road, R155 Regional road (Ireland), regional road, off the N3 road (Ireland), N3. It hosted its first ...

on 17 April 2022.

2022/23 season

Galopin Des Champs began the season with a win in the

John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase The John Durkan Memorial Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland. It is run over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs {2 miles 4 furlongs and 40 yards, or 4,060 metres) at Punc ...

on 19 December 2022 and won the Irish Gold Cup on 4 February 2023, successfully adapting to a step up in trip. His next race was the

2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup The 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup (known as the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 95th annual running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup horse race and was held at Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, England, on 17 March 2023. ...

on 17 March 2023 in which he started as the 7/5 favourite and went on to win by seven lengths, with Bravemansgame in second place. His final race of the season was the Punchestown Gold Cup, in which he started odds-on favourite and was beaten two and a quarter lengths into second place by 20/1 chance Fastorslow.

2023/24 season

On 26 November 2023, Galopin Des Champs attempted a second consecutive victory in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, but was beaten one and three-quarter lengths into third place by Fastorslow and Appreciate It. A month later he won the

Savills Chase The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and ...

at Leopardstown by an impressive 23 lengths, before going on to secure back-to-back Irish Gold Cup victories at Leopardstown on 3 February 2024, beating Fastorslow by more than four lengths.

References

External links

– ''Galopin Des Champs Race Form'' {{Cheltenham Gold Cup winners 2016 racehorse births Cheltenham Festival winners Racehorses trained in Ireland National Hunt racehorses Cheltenham_Gold_Cup_winners Racehorses bred in France