Galopin Des Champs primed for Easter Sunday highlight at Fairyhouse

The Fairyhouse Easter festival got a significant boost on Tuesday when Willie Mullins indicated there is “every chance” his brilliant novice Galopin Des Champs will run there this weekend.

Galopin Des Champs provided one of the abiding images of Cheltenham 2022 when throwing away all but certain victory with a dramatic final fence exit in the Turners Novice Chase.

Already a 4-1 joint-favourite with the reigning champion A Plus Tard for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs is set to return to action at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday.

He is the standout name among 13 entries left in the Boylesports Gold Cup – formerly known as the Powers Gold Cup – at Tuesday’s acceptance stage.

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Mullins had previously suggested Galopin Des Champs could wait for the three-mile novice event at Punchestown later in the month but is happy to give the horse a run before that.

“There’s every chance he could turn up in that. He’s in good shape. I’d be happy enough for him to take his chance,” the champion trainer said. “He’s in good form and he won’t have any problem with the trip.”

Mullins has won the last three renewals of the €100,000 heat including with his subsequent dual-Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo in 2018.

Likely opposition to Galopin Des Champs is headed by Gabynako, runner-up to Edwardstone in the Arkle at Cheltenham as well as the Paddy Corkery -trained Master McShee.

The popular runner, who landed Grade One glory at Limerick over Christmas and was runner-up to Galopin Des Champs at the Dublin Racing Festival, skipped Cheltenham to wait for this prize.

Master McShee last appeared when runner-up to Sizing Pottsie in the Webster Cup just prior to Cheltenham.

Beacon Edge, winner of the Drinmore over course and distance in November, is also a potential starter.

Mullins is formulating plans for Easter Monday’s €500,000 Irish Grand National but his big-race team there is unlikely to rival the one he throws at Sunday’s other Grade One prize.

A total of 13 Mullins entries feature among 22 left in the Irish Stallion Farms Mares Novice Hurdle.

The field is likely to be topped though by the cross-channel raider Love Envoi who landed the Ryanair Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

Her trainer Harry Fry won the Fairyhouse contest in 2015 with Bitofapuzzle.

Grangee did best of half a dozen Mullins runners when third to Love Envoi at the festival where the favourite Dinoblue could finish only ninth.

Hard run

“Dinoblue was disappointing at Cheltenham but [there will] probably be a change of tactics this time around,” Mullins said.

Burrows Saint memorably broke Mullins’s duck in the Irish National in 2019 but after exiting Saturday’s Aintree National that horse is unlikely to make the Fairyhouse line-up this time.

“Franco De Port goes there. Gaillard Du Mesnil has got a chance of going there. Agusta Gold had a hard run the other day at Aintree but we’ll see how she comes out of it. Onetheropes is one that could go there but we will wait for the forfeit [Wednesday],” he added.

The Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe reported of going conditions on Tuesday: “The ground is currently good to yielding with heavy rain due for the remainder of the day and scattered showers forecast for the rest of the week.”

Aidan O’Brien will bid for a first success in Newmarket’s Craven Stakes on Wednesday when Star Of India takes on last year’s champion juvenile Native Trail at Newmarket.

The champion flat trainer also has a quartet of runners at Gowran where the regally-bred Prettiest is rated to land the opening four-runner conditions race.

Another Ballydoyle hope is Cyclamen in a mile maiden although a wide draw is not a help to her chance. Affogato has a much better stall position in what will be her first start for the in-form Ger Lyons team.

Level Pitch has another wide draw in a later mile handicap but looks up to overcoming it. Jim Bolger’s runner won well over seven furlongs at Cork before enjoying little luck four days later at Gowran over the same trip.

He was coming home notably well on that occasion which suggests the step up to a mile should be little problem.