Peerless Punchestown plays out the final chapter in the story of Ireland's '25/’26 National Hunt Season. New champions have emerged in every major equine division.
At ten years of age Galopin Des Champs is no longer the champ he once was. After signing off last term with an explosive Punchestown Gold Cup performance, the fire did not burn so bright on two starts this term. His legacy, however, is eternal.
Three Irish and two English Gold Cups amongst the haul of the greatest Irish chaser in modern times. With the changes and ages in between, comparisons with Arkle and Flyingbolt et al, are but for barstool banter.
If you were looking to see where young pretenders to his crown would emerge, Galopin need not have gazed further than over his stable door. In bidding for a fourth Irish Gold Cup, he found the younger legs of stablemates Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior too much.
Fact To File looked the staying division’s heir apparent on that occasion. Connections however, opted for the shorter Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, a plan that was to be scuppered by unsuitable going.
The staff at Punchestown are nonpareil in producing weather defying, beautiful underfoot conditions. You can be sure they will all line up for this Gold Cup.
Approaching three out at Cheltenham, Paul Townend took a hand from Gaelic Warrior’s rein, pulling away his mud-splattered goggles, knowing he would no longer be in the firing line of kickback.
When that hand returned, the rein was taut, the sign of a horse with more to give. He edged out in to the clear and took one more pull - ice cold! I’m not sure if it is confidence or second nature at this stage, but he was two fences from being the most successful Gold Cup jockey ever and he didn't flinch.
Gaelic Warrior pulled an impressive eight lengths clear of the next best. Previous winner Inothewayurthinkin was another two lengths back in third, something more like his form of previous year.
The Punchestown Gold Cup is shaping up to be the match of the season. At 175 and 176 the handicapper can only separate them by a pound. At 5/4 the pair, the bookies haven’t even managed that. I’ll not be nailing my colours to any mast but will have eyes glued to the action.
Inothewayurthinkin needs to build on an improved Cheltenham effort to get involved. Grangeclare West renews his partnership with Brian Hayes after a very brief one with Patrick Mullins at Aintree. Both he and Champ Kiely will need career bests to get involved.
That said, even if not battling out the finish, their presence will not be futile. Mullins saddles four of the five runners in this €300,000 contest, all prize money appreciated. If he has not already done so this will be the moment he hits the front for the first time in this year’s trainers' championship.
Gordon Elliott has often led the race for 51 weeks of the year. In 2020 he had lead for about 363 days. In an enormous achievement, he will finish runner-up to WP Mullins for the 14th consecutive season. An admiral feat, but galling nonetheless, to have spent about 700 of the last 728 weeks leading the championship but never to have been champion.
For the younger man, surely the sitting duck will get to stay perched in the near future.
Despite once again being reeled in two years ago, Elliott was genuinely delighted for stable jockey Jack Kennedy to be crowned champion for the first time. Kennedy is brilliant, and looks likely, numerically at least, to be the main man in Ireland once more.
Daragh O’Keeffe is still in with a shout. Ireland’s busiest jockey needs a handful to draw level, and that will be a big ask for the week that’s in it.
Watch the Punchestown Festival today and tomorrow at 3.30pm and 4pm on Friday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, with more live coverage on Saturday from 3pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
