Cheltenham Festival 2022: Flooring Porter & Allaho retain titles; Galopin Des Champs falls

Galopin Des Champs was an agonising final-fence faller while Flooring Porter and Allaho defended Cheltenham titles on a dramatic third day.

Jockey Paul Townend came down at the last on leader Galopin Des Champs to gift Bob Olinger victory in the opener.

Townend and trainer Willie Mullins were celebrating later as Allaho cruised to victory in the Ryanair Chase.

And the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter, ridden by Mullins' nephew Danny, won a second Stayers' Hurdle.

Bob Olinger's odds were as high as 999-1 during the Turners Novices' Chase before being handed victory.

Galopin Des Champs, sent off the 5-6 favourite, looked certain to win when jumping the last well clear, but slipped and went over a stride after landing.

That left Rachael Blackmore to come home unchallenged on Bob Olinger (6-5) with Busselton 40 lengths behind as the second of four runners.

«It's fantastic to win but nobody likes winning in those circumstances and it was brilliant to see Paul and Galopin Des Champs get up,» said Blackmore.

Despite following up last year's Ballymore Hurdle win for trainer Henry de Bromhead, the jockey said her mount definitely had «room for improvement».

Willie Mullins reported Galopin Des Champs to be unscathed after his fall and is optimistic about the future.

«He's fine. The reins just got caught around his leg and he panicked a little bit and it took a while to get it all sorted. I think Paul is probably sorer than the horse is,» he said.

«I'm very pleased with the performance and I suppose we're getting used to horses falling at the last around here — first of all Adamant Approach and then Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux.

»It's disappointing, but we have a sound jockey and a sound horse and we live to fight another day."

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