Big clash confirmed as Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe among a field of 11 declared for star-studded Savills Chase

The clash between Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe is on after they featured among 11 declarations for Thursday's Savills Chase (2.25) at Leopardstown.

Last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs bids to bounce back in the Grade 1 following two shock defeats since March. The seven-year-old chased home the reopposing Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup before finishing third behind the same rival last month in the John Durkan Chase.

They will be joined in the line-up by last season's top novice Gerri Colombe, whose connections opted for this race over the King George VI Chase. He won the Mildmay Novices' Chase on his final start last season and made a good start this campaign when winning the Champion Chase at Down Royal. 

The 2022 Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard will make his seasonal reappearance for Henry de Bromhead, who is also represented by last season's Ryanair winner Envoi Allen. As well as Galopin Des Champs, Willie Mullins is set to send out Appreciate It, Capodanno, I Am Maximus and Janidil.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Gerri Colombe, has also declared last year's winner Conflated, while the field is completed by Churchstonewarrior. 

Also on the card, last year's winner Home By The Lee heads among a field of six for the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle (1.50). The Joseph O'Brien-trained eight-year-old has not won since that race 12 months ago but returned with a good third in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan last month.

His rivals include the Elliott-trained Irish Point, who landed the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April and made a winning return at Down Royal last month.

At Limerick, Gaelic Warrior will face four rivals as he bids for more Grade 1 glory in the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase (2.05). He won by 15 lengths on his chase debut and is joined in the field by stablemate Il Etait Temps. American Mike, Inothewayurthinkin and Lucid Dreams also run.

Confirmed runners and riders

A Plus Tard Rachael Blackmore
Appreciate It Sean O'Keeffe
Capodanno Brian Hayes
Churchstonewarrior Michael O'Sullivan
Conflated Sam Ewing
Envoi Allen Darragh O'Keeffe
Fastorslow JJ Slevin
Galopin Des Champs Paul Townend
Gerri Colombe Jack Kennedy
I Am Maximus Jody McGarvey
Janidil Mark Walsh

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