Gordon Elliott star Galvin to headline classy Punchestown card on Wednesday

Grade 1 winner Galvin will make his seasonal debut at Punchestown on Wednesday, with his trainer Gordon Elliott opting to follow the same route he did last year with his top staying chaser.

The eight-year-old will set out to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the Irish Daily Star – Best For Racing Coverage Chase (4.30) – a race Elliott is trying to win for a record-extending eighth time.

Also a winner of the 2021 National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Galvin is one of six horses declared for the Grade 3 contest which has a roll of honour that includes War Of Attrition (2005, 2006, 2008) and Don Cossack (2014, 2015).

Galvin began last season by winning the 3m contest and it proved to be a springboard for a superb campaign that saw him chase home Frodon in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, before gunning down Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard in the closing stages of a Christmas cracker in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

Galvin (centre): pictured winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last seasonCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"We're going to go the same route as last year with him," said Elliott. "He'll go to the big race at Down Royal after Punchestown, and that is going to be his Gold Cup. He surprised us last year but kept on improving and ended up in a Gold Cup.

"I suppose he's the sort of horse who could end up in a cross country chase in years to come, but we're going to start him off in the big staying chases again this year.

"He looks very well and he's in great form. We're looking forward to getting him back out at Punchestown and, as I said, the race at Down Royal next month will be his Gold Cup. He's being geared towards that," added Elliott.

Galvin is rated 166 and his biggest danger on Wednesday, according to ratings, is stablemate Run Wild Fred.

He won last year's Troytown Chase at Navan in impressive fashion and was second to Stattler in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March.

Lord Lariat, the shock 40-1 winner of the 2022 Irish Grand National, is also among the field which is completed by Battleoverdoyen, Macgiloney and Politesse.

The supporting card is quite tasty, too, as the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase (3.55) features impressive Listowel winner Adamantly Chosen and the hat-trick-seeking Visionarian, who won at Grade 3 level during the Galway festival.

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