The 25-1 chance who can spoil party for Galopin Des Champs

No horse has ever won four successive editions of the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and Galopin Des Champsis going to have to pull out something special if he’s to rewrite the record books at Leopardstown on Saturday. 

Willie Mullins, his trainer, is certainly not going to make life easy for him as he’s unleashing seven other runners, including three more A-Listers in Gaelic Warrior, Fact To File and I Am Maximus, plus a mare, Spindleberry, yet to be beaten over fences. And then there’s old adversaries such as Affordale Fury and Inothewayurthinkin to overcome. 

There is a strong school of thought that Galopin Des Champs will improve plenty for his comeback run in the Savills, but Paul Townend did not ride him as if fitness was much of a concern last month, using his Pro Cush liberally after the final fence. 

He’s a horse who routinely needs no encouragement to run quicker and the ride was certainly a contrast to previous comeback outings, admittedly over shorter, when Townend adopted a more sympathetic hands-and-heels approach. 

I’m as big a fan of the black beauty as anyone else and will raise a glass to him (and commentator Jerry Hannon, who is likely to come close to injuring himself) if he does make history. But at the age of 10, in such a deep field having his 19th successive Grade One assignment, a best price of 13-8 is hardly enticing. 

The door may be open for a surprise if you also take the view that Gaelic Warrior is not at his best at Leopardstown; that Fact To File still has a stamina question to answer; that Affordale Fury cannot jump like he did last time and win again; and that  Inothewayurthinkin may have left part of himself (his spirit?) on the Cheltenham hill last spring. 

The one I keep coming back to is Grangeclare West, who looks underestimated at 25-1. 

This lightly raced ten-year-old (only 14 runs over hurdles/fences) was a brilliant Grade One winner over 3m at Leopardstown as a novice chaser and chased home Galopin Des Champs in last year’s Irish Gold Cup before finishing an excellent third in the Grand National. He might have won at Aintree but for an untimely error at the final fence. 

He began this season with a dull run in the John Durkan, like 12 months earlier, but was back on his A Game when a staying-on fourth (beaten an aggregate of six lengths) in the Savills last time. 

Grangeclare West took a big step forward from the Savills to the Irish Gold Cup last year. Saturday’s reconfigured track and deeper ground will bring his deep reserves of stamina more into the equation, especially with so many of the field usually ridden forward. 

His regular rider, Brian Hayes, will almost certainly adopt a patient approach and I’d imagine the pre-race ploy will be to “pick up some pieces” with one eye also on Aintree. It could just be that he finds the race falling into his lap. I’ll be seeking out the bookmakers offering extra places. 

The Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (2.25) features five runners who will be wearing some form of first-time headgear but it is one having that aid taken off, Daily Present, who intrigues me at a whopping 66-1. 

Removing headgear can be as galvanising as putting it on in the first place and the nine-year-old will be minus the blinkers he has worn for his past four starts, including when winning the Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. 

I’d imagine that race is again at the top of his agenda but this a valuable prize in its own right and whatever he does will not affect his rating over fences. 

His hurdle mark is 5lb lower than his chase mark, and I’m not sure we’ve got enough evidence to suggest Paul Nolan’s rugged stayer is better in one sphere than the other. 

He’s won two of his five races over hurdles and ran well for a long way over course and distance over Christmas before his 251-day absence took its toll. Having still been in the thick of the action two out, he dropped away. 

Daily Present should be sharper this time, copes with heavy ground and has a new jockey in 5lb claimer. His trainer’s past two runners have both won Graded contests and three of the past six winners of this race have been ridden by claimers. 

The Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (2.55) features only three runners and looks a match between Romeo Coolio and Kargese. The latter looks to have more gears, jumped superbly when winning over course and distance last month and can make the most of the 7lb sex allowance she receives.