Galopin Des Champs has finally met his match - and I can see the Gold Cup favourite getting shorter by March

The John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday was run at a fair pace, certainly not a fast one, so an argument could be made that the eventual third Galopin Des Champs, who was always prominent and led from before the seventh to the last, had the run of the race.

On that basis, it’s not easy to make a case for why he will overturn the form with Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower, who filled the first two places, come Cheltenham in March.

Given that he has won two Gold Cups, it’s understandable why Galopin Des Champs has such a huge following, but the only horses to have finished runner-up to him since February last year have been Fastorslow (soundly beaten on Sunday), Bravemansgame (soundly beaten on Saturday) and Gerri Colombe (soundly beaten at Down Royal last month). He can only beat what’s in front of him, of course, but perhaps there’s a wave of even better stayers for him to take him on this season.