The outstanding novice Galopin Des Champs may have thrown away Cheltenham festival glory last week but Willie Mullins saw enough to encourage hopes of Gold Cup glory next year.
In the immediate aftermath of Galopin Des Champs’ dramatic final fence spill in the Turners Chase, Mullins suggested the hugely exciting novice could be dropped in distance from that two and a half miles.
On reflection though, the trainer believes the horse’s performance up to his last fence stumble indicates a horse that could stay further.
Galopin Des Champs won a three mile Grade 1 over hurdles at last year’s Punchestown festival and is likely to return there next month for the Dooley Insurance Group Novice Chase at a similar distance.
“I’ve looked at a re-run of the race this morning and I was actually happier how he settled jumping.
“I think he can settle into being a staying chaser. I was always worried he was a bit too gassy and too forward.
“But I think Paul (Townend) will be able to get to him wind back a bit and settle going to his fences and just jump them rather than have to race over everything,” Mullins said.
He added he was thinking in terms of the 2023 Gold Cup rather than dropping in distance with the horse.
“I’m more inclined to think that after Cheltenham than I was before Cheltenham.
“Whatever about over hurdles, over fences he appeared to be very keen to get on the job. It’s hard to make a three and a quarter mile chaser out of a horse that does that. It’s very hard on them. That’s why I was thinking of going the other way.
“But now I’m happier he’ll settle into his job and relax more which will help him,” Mullins considered.
Galopin Des Champs is already a general 5-1 joint-favourite for next year’s Gold alongside Friday’s hugely impressive blue riband winner A Plus Tard.
Ireland’s senior handicapper, Sandy Shaw, said on Sunday that he and his British colleagues are likely to agree on a career-high rating of 180 for the 15-length winning performance by Henry De Bromhead’s star.
Willie Mullins indicated the bulk of his Cheltenham team, which yielded a record 10 winners last week, including a 1,518-1 five-timer on Friday, is likely to wait for next month’s Punchestown festival for their next starts.
That includes the Ballymore winner Sir Gerhard who is likely to drop back to two miles for a novice event.
Mullins is considering training the Cheveley Park Stud-owned star for next year’s Champion Hurdle and an attempt to dethrone Honeysuckle.
“I would be keen to go down the Champion Hurdle route. I haven’t spoken to the Cheveley Park team so I want to see what they think. At Punchestown I think we’ll go back to two and stick to the novice,” he said.
That could see Sir Gerhard tackle the hugely impressive Supreme winner, Constitution Hill, although the latter’s connections haven’t ruled out taking on Honeysuckle herself at the Co Kildare festival.
Constitution Hill’s owner, Michael Buckley, suggested the course-record breaking star will be entered for both the novice and senior events at Punchestown and the Honeysuckle camp said it will be great for racing if Constitution Hill takes on their unbeaten mare.
“It would be brilliant. It’s what racing is about. I think it would be fantastic. If Michael is brave enough to take us on, fair play to him,” Henry De Bromhead said.
“What she has achieved, no other horse has achieved it.
“I wouldn’t dare to say she is going to beat Constitution Hill. I can’t answer that. What she’s achieved is way beyond a lot of horses.
“Obviously, Constitution Hill was extremely impressive, all his figures were unreal, but she’s just so consistently at the top.
“I can’t answer who would win it, but I think it would be fascinating if they do takes us on and wouldn’t it be amazing for the sport,” he added.
