Galopin Des Champs ruled out of Cheltenham Gold Cup

Galopin Des Champs has been ruled out of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, trainer Willie Mullins announced on Friday night.

Winner of the race in 2023 and 2024, the Audrey Turley-owned gelding was second to Inothewayurthinkin 12 months ago when bidding to join such as Arkle and Best Mate as a three-time winner.

He had also won the Martin Pipe Hurdle in 2022, plus had the Turners Novices' Chase at his mercy when falling at the final fence in 2023.

In two starts so far this season, the 10-year-old had been third on both occasions, in the Savills Chase on his reappearance and most recently to stablemate Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup.

Mullins told Sporting Life: “Unfortunately Galopin Des Champs has been ruled out for the rest of the season. After working very well on Thursday morning he wasn’t right on Friday morning and will miss the Gold Cup and the other spring festivals.”

Galopin Des Champs had been trading at about 7-1 for the big race, which is a week away. He has won 15 of his 26 races and almost £2 million in prize-money for his owner, Audrey Turley.

Two other Festival champions, Constitution Hill and Marine Nationale, have also been ruled out of the meeting in recent days. 

Meanwhile, connections of  Fact To File, a stablemate of Galopin Des Champs, have until Saturday to decide whether to supplement him for the Gold Cup, at a cost of £25,000.

Sir Anthony McCoy, long-time number one rider to Fact To File’s owner JP McManus and still a key part of the green-and-gold team, said on Thursday night that he would be pushing against supplementing the impressive Irish Gold Cup winner for the Festival blue riband given his standout claims in a race he won comprehensively 12 months ago.

Speaking ahead of William Hill’s Cheltenham Preview Night, McCoy had said: “I’d say he will run in the Ryanair. JP will make that decision, but with the ground going as it is, I would think it might be the Ryanair."

However, that was before news of Galopin Des Champs' setback came to light.

Mullins has trained a record 113 Festival winners and has a typically powerful squad for next week's bonanza.

However, he has had his share of blips in the build-up, with Narciso Has, who had been hot favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, also ruled out of the meeting.