Cheltenham 2024 day four as it happened: Galopin Des Champs wins Gold Cup for Mullins

[ Galopin Des Champs overcomes adversity to win second Cheltenham Gold Cup ]

Final Standings

Leading Jockey

6 Paul Townend

4 Harry Skelton

2 Rachael Blackmore, Derek O’Connor, Mark Walsh

1 David Bass, JJ Slevin, Patrick Mullins, Harry Cobden, Jack Kennedy, Ben Jones, Lorcan Williams, Sam Ewing, John Dawson, Keith Donoghue, Danny Gilligan

Leading Trainer

9 Willie Mullins

4 Dan Skelton

3 Gordon Elliott

2 Henry De Bromhead, Gavin Cromwell

1 Kim Bailey, Joseph O’Brien, Emmet Mullins, Paul Nicholls, Ben Pauling, Jeremy Scott, Fiona Needham

Prestbury Cup

Ireland 18 Great Britain 9

5:30 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle result

1 Better Days Ahead (Gordon Elliott/Danny Gilligan) 5/1

2 Waterford Whispers (Henry De Bromhead/Mike O’Connor) 10/3

3 Quai De Bourbon (Willie Mullins/Michael O’Sullivan) 4/1

4 Answer To Kayf (Terence O’Brien/John Shinnick) 10/1

That’s a brilliant ride from Danny Gilligan. And it gives his boss Gordon Elliott his third winner of what had been a frustrating week for long stretches.

Waterford Whispers and Quai De Burboun jump the last together. But Better Days ahead gets up on the run-in to win it for Gordon Elliott!

Turing for home, Waterford Whispers takes it up again. No Ordinary Joe is travelling well in third. Answer To Kayf is getting involved.

Waterford Whispers and Ocastle Des Mottes are neck and neck in front. No Ordinary Joe is moving up with Better Days Ahead gaining ground too.

As they pass the stands and head out onto the second circuit, Waterford Whispers jumps to the front. Mel Monroe is right up on the inside with Answer To Kayf outside. Angels Breath and Shared are getting tailed off at the back.

Oacastle Des Mottes has tanked to the front and is setting a fair pace. Waterford Whispers is right up there, Mel Monroe and Answer To Kayf also.

They get away this time. A short sprint down to the first and it’s Waterford Whispers who leads them out.

False start. As the first race of the week goes, so goes the last...

In 15 years of the Martin Pipe, no favourite has ever won...

Down at the start for the festival closer...

5:30 Martin Pipe Handicap for Conditional Jockeys

And so to the last race of the week, the Martin Pipe. There’s often a decent horse for the future lurking in here - a young lad by the name of Galopin Des Champs won it in 2021, in fact. Plenty here with chances - the favourite is a Henry De Bromhead horse that wouldn’t scare too many on what he’s done so far. Keep an eye out for Answer To Kayf - from a small yard in Cork, trained by Terence O’Brien, it was second to Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story earlier in the season and could run a big race.

Here’s the betting...

Waterford Whispers (Henry De Bromhead/Mike O’Connor) 3/1

Quai De Bourbon (Willie Mullins/Michael O’Sullivan) 4/1

Ocastle Des Mottes (Willie Mullins/Kieran Callaghan) 15/2

Answer To Kayf (Terence O’Brien/John Shinnick) 17/2

Better Days Ahead (Gordon Elliott/Danny Gilligan) 11/1

12/1 Bar

4:50 Mares’ Chase result

1 Limerick Lace (Gavin Cromwell/Keith Donoghue) 3/1

2 Dinoblue (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) 15/8

3 Marsh Wren (Ciaran Gethings/Stuart Edmunds) 28/1

4 Allegorie De Vassey (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 5/2

Limerick Lace sees it out for Keith Donoghue! Dinoblue came with his run but couldn’t quite get up on the line. That’s two winners for the week for Gavin Cromwell, five winnners for JP McManus. The tow McManus runners were well clear of the rest.

Limerick Lace moves up to take the lead as they turn in. Dinoblue follows him as they come down to the last.

Coming to the top of the hill and it’s Marsh Wren and Instit. But Dinoblue is creeping into it with every stride. Limerick Lace is there too.

Racing down the back straight and Mark Walsh has started to move up a little on Dinoblue.

Instit has taken it up for Danny Mullins as they jump what will be the last in a circuit’s time. Marsh Wren is second, Kestrel Valley is third. The two big Mullins guns are still out the back.

Dinoblue is sitting out the back of the field, along with Allegorie De Vassey. You’d imagine if Mark Walsh and Paul Townend want to be at the back, that’s how fast you should be going.

And they’re off. Marsh Wren jumps the first ahead, with Kestrel Valley alongside.

The rain has started bucketing down at Cheltenham, making it quite hard to see through the gloom for the last two races.

They’re down at the start for the Mares’ Chase...

4:50 Mares’ Chase

Two races left in the 2024 Cheltenham festival and it’s the fourth running of the Mares’ Chase. Willie Mullins has won two of the three that have been run so far and he has the favourite here in Dinoblue for JP McManus. Allegorie De Vassey - another Mullins runner - will fancy her chances on the ground. If She wins, it will mean Townend equals Ruby Walsh’s record of seven winners at a Cheltenham festival. As it stands, he has equalled Rachael Blackmore’s 2021 record of six.

Here’s how they bet...

Dinoblue (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) 13/8

Limerick Lace (Gavin Cromwwell/Keith Donoghue) 16/5

Allegorie De Vassey (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 3/1

Riviere Detel (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy) 11/2

25/1 Bar

Oh what a ride by John Dawson on Sine Nominee as he gets up to take Its On The Line, literally on the line! He came from miles back, laid third over the last and had to switch out around Its On The Line and Time Leader to only just make it in the last couple of yards.

They swing for home and Time Leader takes over. Its On The Line is in second, Sine Nominee is there too!

Four to jump and can Ferns Lock hold on? Its On The Line moves up to third.

Down the back straight, Ferns Lock is still out in front. Its On The Line is being shaken up by O’Connor. Shantou Flyer is in a good position on the inside.

Passing the stands for the first time, Ferns Lock leads from Shantou Flyer. Its On The Line and Billaway are going at their own speed in third and fourth.

Ferns Lock wouldn’t fill you with confidence here, jumping all over the place and using up loads of energy. Its On The Line has moved out to the right to stay away from him under Derek O’Connor.

Its On The Line is taking no chances, leading them out on the inside. Ferns Lock has moved through to lead after the second. Billaway is up there too.

They’re away.

Ferns Lock is getting very revved before the start here.

They’re down at the start...

4:10 Foxhunters Chase

How do you top that? With the Grand National for amateur jockeys, the Foxhunter’s Chase. Derek O’Connor is attempting to make history here - no amateur jockey has ever won three races at a festival and after his wins on Iknowwhatyourthinking and Corbetts Cross earlier in the week, he’s on the favourite here. Its On The Line looks to have been laid out for the race, trained by Emmet Mullins.

Here’s the betting...

It’s On The Line (Emmet Mullins/Mr Derek O’Connor) 6/5

Ferns Lock (David Christie/Mr Barry O’Neill) 4/1

Premier Magic (Bradley Gibbs/Mr Bradley Gibbs) 6/1

Billaway (Willie Mullins/Mr Patrick Mullins) 7/1

14/1 Bar

So that brings Paul Townend into a different realm in terms of Gold Cups. Pat Taaffe won his fourth Gold Cup in 1968 - it has taken 54 years for anyone to catch up with him. Townend has now become the first one to do two back-to-backs, first on Al Boum Photo and now on Galopin Des Champs. Willie Mullins is joint second with Paul Nicholls now, one behind Tom Dreaper.

3:30 Cheltenham Gold Cup result

1 Galopin Des Champs (WIllie Mullins/Paul Townend) 5/6

2 Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy) 5/1

3 Corach Rambler (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox) 14/1

4 LHomme Presse (Venetia William/Charlie Deutsch) 16/1

Galopin Des Champs blows them all away! Nobody else could land a glove on him. LHomme Presse pushed for home and made it easy for Townend, giving him something to aim at. Gerri Colombe gavce chase but couldn’t get there. Corach Rambler ran on for third. Two in a row!

Lhomme Presse is the first to make a move. Galopin Des Champs covers him, wioth Gerri COlombe alongside. There’s a loose horse that could make chaos for everyone.

LHomme Presse has taken over the lead from The Real Whacker. But Fastorslow is gone! JJ Slevin seems to have fallen off. Galopin Des Champs is looming with five to jump.

They pass the stands at a leisurely enough pace. You’d imagine they’ll start winding it up soon. Townend is still sitting in third on Galopin Des Champs.

The pace is nothing too hectic. Corach Rambler is at the rear of the field but he’s only about 12 lengths from the front. Fastorslow and Gerri Colombe are in mid-division lobbing along.

The Real Whacker leads them out over the first two of the 21 fences. LHomme Presse is second and Townend has Galopin Des Champs settled in third.

They’re away for the 100th year of the Gold Cup!

Down at the start...

“I just think he’s better than the opposition,” says Ruby Walsh about Galopin Des Champs. He’d know, in fairness. He also says that since they know for sure now that stamina is his forte, Townend will most likely keep Galopin Des Champs at the head of affairs, unlike last year when he won it from behind.

3:30 Cheltenham Gold Cup

And so here we are, the blue riband race of the season, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Paul Townend is looking to join Pat Taaffe as the winningmost jockey in the history of the race, Willie Mullins is looking to join Paul Nicholls in second place on the trainers’ list. Galopin Des Champs can do it for them both.

But even though the defending champion is a short price, this really does look like wide-open Gold Cup. Fastorslow beat Galopin Des Champs at Punchestown last year and was second in the Ultima to Corach rambler, who went on to win the Grand National. Gerri Colombe has a huge hurdling career behind him and should improve for the neavy ground. Even something like Gentlemansgame for Mouse Morriss wouldn’t cause an earthquake if it came with a challenge. In sum, this is no penalty kick for Mullins and Townend.

Here’s how they bet...

Galopin Des Champs (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 5/6

Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliot/Jack Kennedy) 11/2

Fastorslow (Martin Brassil/JJ Slevin) 13/2

LHomme Presse (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch) 12/1

Corach Rambler (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox) 14/1

Bravemansgame (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) 16/1

20/1 Bar

Albert Bartlett Hurdle result

1 Stellar Story (Gordon Elliott/Sam Ewing) 33/1

2 The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling/Keelan Woods) 18/1

3 Dancing City (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins) 8/1

4 Spread Boss Ted (Willie Mullins/Seán O’Keeffe) 40/1

That’s both the closest winner of the week in any race and the longest-priced winner of the week in any race. Fantastic stuff for Sam Ewing - and for Gordon Elliott who was full of hard-luck stories since the Supreme on Tuesday.

Oh my days, what a killer for The Jukebox Man. He led every yard of a three-mile race except the last one. Sam Ewing got Stellar Story up on the line for Gordon Elliott. What a win for Ewing, his first ever winner at the festival.

One to jump and The Jukebox Man kicks for home! He’s left them in his dust! But here comes Stellar Story!

Two jump but a good mile still to go. The Jukebox Man and Stellar Story are pushing on. Readin Tommy Wrong is losing his place and his race looks done.

They’ve done the first circuit now and the pace has slowed right down and the field is totally bunched now. The Jukebox Man leads them out, Dancing City and Stellar Story are still there. Notably, Readin Tommy Wrong is moving up and lies about sixth now with three to jump.

The Jukebox Man is putting on a slightly needless pace here. Stellar Story, Dancing City and Johnnywho are about four lengths back. The rest of them are going at a steadier speed, with Paul Townend sitting about three-qarrters of the way back on Readin Tommy Wrong.

And they’re away. The Jukebox Man leads them out. Dancing City and Johnnywho are up there.

Heading down to the start...

2:50 Albert Bartlett Hurdle

The third race on the card is the long-distance novice hurdle, which is often a place you find future Gold Cup horses - and not neccessarily the ones you’d expect. Minella Indo won this a few years back at 50/1, Bobs Worth is a past champion as well. This year’s race has, as you might expect, a Willie Mullins-trained favourite, with Readin Tommy Wrong at the head of the market. But something like Johnnywho or Lecky Watson could be worth keeping an eye on too.

They bet like this...

Readin Tommy Wrong (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 15/8

Gidleigh Park (Harry Fry/Jonathan Burke) 5/1

Captain Teague (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) 7/1

Dancing City (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins) 15/2

High Class Hero (Willie Mullins/Mr Patrick Mullins) 10/1

12/1 Bar

2:10 County Hurdle

1 Absurde (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 12/1

2 Leau Du Sud (Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton) 7/2

3 Pied Piper (Gordon Elliott/Danny Gilligan) 14/1

4 Magical Zoe (Henry De Bromhead/Adrian Heskin) 8/1

5 Afadil (Paul Nicholls/Freddie Gingell) 40/1

We said it would be Mullins or Skelton - they finished first and second. Such a versatile horse, Absurde. He won the Ebor and ran at Royal Ascot last year. He ran in the Melbourne Cup. And now he’s won the County Hurdle. Mad stuff.

Afadil goes for it but Laau Du Sud has him over the last. Here comes Absurde for Townend and Mullins though! And he gets up on the line! That was not expected at all - he was 12/1, by far the longest winner fo the week for either Mullins or Townend.

Two to jump and they’re starting to come for Afadil now. Leau Du Sud has moved into contention. King of Kingsfield is there too.

Down thew back and Afadil has it all his own way on the front. Zent and Media Navanja are next. Jack Kennedy has King of Kingsfield buried on the inside. Leau Du Sud is in mid-division on the outside.

And they’re away. Afadil is leading them out for Paul Nicholls and has a big lead immediately. A couple of JP horses are next - Petit Tonnere and Zenta.

Down at the start for the County...

2:10 County Hurdle

Onto the second race and it’s always one of the hottest handicap hurdles of the year. And yet for the past decade or so, you haven’t had to look far to pick the winning trainer - of the last nine runnings, four have been won by Willie Mullins and four by Dan Skelton. Only Peter Fahey’s 33/1 shot Belfast Banter split the difference back in 2021. Between them, they have seven of the 17 runners here (five for Mullins, two for Skelton, including the favourite).

Here’s the betting...

Leau Du Sud (Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton) 11/4

So Scottish (Emmet Mullins/Donagh Meyler) 4/1

King Of Kingsfield (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy) 5/1

Faivoir (Dan Skelton/Tristan Durrell) 15/2

Zenta (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) 9/1

Magical Zoe (Henry De Bromhead/Adrian Heskin) 10/1

12/1 Bar

1:30 Triumph Hurdle result

1 Majborough (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) 6/1

2 Kargese (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins) 4/1

3 Salver (Gary Moore/Gavin Sheehan) 10/1

4 Nurburgring (Joseph O’Brien/JJ Slevin) 6/1

Mark Walsh gets Majborough up the hill and that’s a seventh win of the week for Willie Mullins. Walsh looked confident all the way around, even when Danny Mullins passsed him just before the last on Kargese. They jumped the last pretty much upsides but Majborough got away from it the best and he powered up the hill. Another JP McManus winner too.

Over the last and it’s Kargese v Majborough.

One to jump and Majborough is looking confident. Kargese and Slaver are keeping at it.

Two to jump as they turn for home. Salver and Ithicas Arrow leading it out, Storm Heart, Kargese and Majborough are starting to get serious in chase of the front two.

Fratas, Ithica’s Arrow and Salver are pushing the pace as they take the three down the back straight. Townend is moving Sotrm Heart up on the outside of Majborough.

Salver was well-back in the 15 minutes before the off and the Gary Moore horse is making the running over the first couple of hurdles. Fratas is there too, with Majborough and Kargese well in touch as they pass the stands.

And they’re off. Majborough and Kargese lead them out.

They’re down at the start for the opener...

Loads with chances here. It’s a race that often throws up a decent-priced winner. Mullins has thrown seven darts at the race so it’s probably fair to say that even he can’t really tell which is the best of them. Go down the list and you find the likes of Mighty Bandit, bought by Warren Greatrex in the past month for €420,000. They didn’t pay that money for him to be an also-ran - yet he’s 22/1. So it could be worth taking a swing at a longer-priced one in this race.

1:30 Triumph Hurdle

The first race of the day is a Grade One Juvenile Hurdle, won in three of the past four years by Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. A lot of these are converted flat horses, still a little young to know what they might turn into. It’s a wide-open heat this year, with nothing particularly catching the eye of the market. Storm Heart is the favourite but you wouldn’t say there’s a huge amount of confidence behind it. Giggingstown haven’t had a winner here all week - maybe it’s time? Here’s the betting...

Storm Heart (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 7/2

Kargese (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins) 9/2

Bunting (Willie Mullins/Seán O’Keeffe) 5/1

Majborough (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) 6/1

Nurburgring (Joseph O’Brien/JJ Slevin) 13/2

Salver (Gary Moore/Gavin Sheehan) 8/1

10/1 Bar

To continue a theme of the week, the heavy ground has caused a fair few non-runners, particularly in the County Hurdle. Sadly, as expected, Shark Hanlon’s little hero Hewick won’t run in the Gold Cup and will wait for Aintree.

Here they are, broken down by race.

Triumph Hurdle: Peking Opera, Sir Gino

County Hurdle: Encanto Bruno, Hansard, Aucunrisque, Gin Coco, Parramount, Rare Middleton

Albert Bartlett: Butcher Hollow, Shanagh Bob

Gold Cup: Hewick

Mares Chase: Brides Hill, Carole’s Pass

After yesterday’s bumper day for the British trainers, the bad look has been taken off the Prestbury Cup standings. The whole thing is obviously nonsense anyway but even so, it was heartening to see Paul Nicholls et all finding their way into the winners enclosure again. Here’s how everything looks going into the final day.

Standings After Day Three

Leading Jockey

4 Paul Townend, Harry Skelton

2 Rachael Blackmore, Derek O’Connor

1 David Bass, JJ Slevin, Patrick Mullins, Harry Cobden, Jack Kennedy, Ben Jones, Lorcan Williams

Leading Trainer

6 Willie Mullins

4 Dan Skelton

2 Henry De Bromhead

1 Kim Bailey, Joseph O’Brien, Emmet Mullins, Paul Nicholls, Ben Pauling, Jeremy Scott, Gavin Cromwell, Gordon Elliott

Prestbury Cup

Ireland 12 Great Britain 8

And on the fourth day, we rose again to give it one more crack of the whip. After two days of complete domination by Irish trainers (one in particular), Thursday was a much better day for both the British-based fraternity and the bookmakers. Nothing makes Cheltenham feel like the old days like a rake of long-shots going in and Willie Mullins ending the afternoon without a winner. If the same happens today, many will wonder what all the fuss was about.

The chances of that feel slim, it must be said. Today is, of course, Gold Cup day and Mullins has the odds-on favourite in defending champion Galopin Des Champs. On the basis of his two wins at Leopardstown in the past three months, Paul Townend’s mount should win this without a lot of fuss. But Gold Cups don’t usually work out that easily and there is plenty of opposition in the shape of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow and Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe.

Plenty to get through before the big one goes off at 3.30, though. The Triumph Hurdle is a juicy prospect with Joseph O’Brien’s Nurburgring looking to defy four different fancied Mullins runners. And if Leau Du Sud manages to land the County Hurdle, it will round off an incredible week for the Dan Skelton team. He won’t catch Mullins in the Leading Trainer stakes but he’ll run him closer than anyone could have predicted.

First race off at 1.30. Malachy Clerkin here to keep you company all the way to the last runner crosses the line in the Martin Pipe.

Top Reads:

• Galopin Des Champs set to join legends by successfully defending Cheltenham Gold Cup
• Charlie Deutsch aiming to scale Cheltenham Gold Cup heights on L’Homme Presse
• Willie Mullins gearing up for what could be another final day festival bonanza
• Brian’s report from day three: Rule Britannia as home team rallies
• Frank McNally on a breakthrough day for Alex Ferguson