Punchestown Festival: Galopin Des Champs bids to right last year's wrong

Familiar foes Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow are both reported in fine spirits ahead of the latest chapter in their engaging rivalry in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

There were few signs of what was to come when Fastorslow finished 21 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs as a 66-1 outsider in December 2022, but Martin Brassil's charge bounced back to take a 2-1 lead via victories in this race 12 months ago and last November’s John Durkan at the same venue.

However, Willie Mullins’ superstar asserted his authority again in February’s Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and then powered to a second straight success in Cheltenham’s blue riband event, when Fastorslow parted company with J J Slevin at the 16th of 22 fences.

The big two dominate the betting once more for this year’s Punchestown Festival day two feature and Mullins, who also saddles longshots Appreciate It and Capodanno, has nothing but respect for the opposition.

He said: "It’s good for racing to have battles like that. Sean and Bernardine Mulryan are fantastic patrons of the game and it was fantastic to see their horse winning, even though beating mine!

"It’s something to look forward to, going back for the rematch. We’re hoping this year we can beat him in Punchestown, but you never know, it depends how the race pans out and what else is in the race.

"We’re fit and well, they’re fit and well. They love winning in Punchestown and so do we. We’ll both toast each other whichever horse wins, hopefully one of us wins."

Fastorslow belied odds of 20-1 when claiming this prize last term, but there is no chance of him slipping in under the radar this time and Brassil is confident the Cheltenham mishap "definitely wouldn’t have left a mark".

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