Is a Gold Cup hat-trick inevitable for Galopin Des Champs? Our experts have their say

Galopin Des Champs confirmed his superiority in the staying-chase division with a third victory in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday. With Gerri Colombe since ruled out for the season, is a hat-trick in the Gold Cup for 1-2 favourite Galopin Des Champs a foregone conclusion? Four of our team have their say . . .
'It requires a big leap of faith to take him on'
By Jack Haynes, reporter
There is always a temptation to look for some value against an odds-on favourite but I just cannot see past Galopin Des Champs in his Gold Cup hat-trick bid.
The star chaser really should be 4-4 at the Cheltenham Festival – a final-fence fall in the Turners Novices' Chase cost him an unbeaten record at the big meeting – and he has once again proved his dominance this season.
Stamina is his strong point so the extended trip of the Gold Cup suits him ideally and the opposition looks particularly thin, with second favourite Fact To File potentially going for the Ryanair and Banbridge unproven over this far. Corbetts Cross is a possible dark horse but it requires a big leap of faith to take on the favourite.
'Odds of 25-1 look very good for an each-way play'
By Harry Wilson, tipster
I’ve long thought L’Homme Presse could win a Gold Cup and he’s done nothing this season that makes me think otherwise.
He ran another cracker in the King George, finishing third despite preferring to go the other way round and the ground being far quicker than he’d like, and produced a good change of gear to get up in the Cotswold Chase.

It will be a big task to topple Galopin Des Champs, but the dual Gold Cup winner is a few pounds worse on RPRs this season compared to last and L’Homme Presse had him off the bridle before being struck into and fading in last year’s contest.
I don’t think it was a lack of stamina that saw him finish fourth in the last Gold Cup and, if having more luck this time, odds of 25-1 look very good for an each-way play.
'No alternatives to dethrone the king'
By Patrick Madden, reporter
Galopin Des Champs’ defeat in the John Durkan led to suggestions he could be vulnerable to some up-and-comers as the season progressed, but he answered any doubters emphatically with a hair-raising win in the Savills Chase over Christmas.
He doubled down on that victory at the Dublin Racing Festival, securing his third Irish Gold Cup with another thunderous, thrilling, front-running performance.
A Gold Cup hat-trick now beckons at Cheltenham. The young pretenders to Galopin’s crown, Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower, are likely to swerve the Friday festival showpiece, and with the race falling apart there doesn’t look to be anyone with the class, stamina or experience to dethrone the king.
Galopin Des Champs will already go down as one of the greats, and if he makes it to Cheltenham fully fit and avoids any bad luck in-running then he will surely emulate Best Mate and join the Gold Cup legends.
'Good ground could bring Banbridge into the reckoning'
By Catherine Macrae, reporter
After Saturday's sublime performance it will take a mammoth effort from the opposition to deny Galopin Des Champs a historic third win.
The favourite has all the credentials you'd want for next month's contest: his jumping is consistent, he has got a turn of foot when needed and he never backs down from a fight. His win at the Dublin Racing Festival was a joy to watch.

If it is good ground on the final day I would be keen on the chances of Banbridge, who has always had a touch of quality and showed that when reeling in Il Est Francais at Kempton this Christmas.
However, a King George winner does not always make a Gold Cup star, due to the vastly different characteristics in the two tracks, and Galopin Des Champs is a seasoned veteran up the Cheltenham hill.
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, March 14
bet365: 1-2 Galopin Des Champs, 5 Fact To File, 8 Banbridge, 14 Corbetts Cross, 16 Grangeclare West, 20 L'Homme Presse, Monty's Star, 33 bar
Read more . . .
The Front Page: is Galopin Des Champs an all-time great?

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Published on inCheltenham Festival
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