Galopin Des Champs is gone and maybe State Man too, but Willie Mullins won't even miss them - how ridiculous is that?

In paying tribute to Galopin Des Champs, Sir AP McCoy said something very unusual. "You’d normally say these horses would be very hard to replace, but when you look at where he’s coming from, there might be a few more like him."

It struck me as a strange thing to say, especially the timing of it. When retirements are announced, horses usually grow an extra leg. They go from being stars to superstars; from good horses to great ones. 

Galopin Des Champs was as good as it gets. His first run over fences at Leopardstown in the Christmas of 2021 was the best chasing debut of the modern era according to Racing Post figures as he received an RPR of 163, 9lb higher than Sprinter Sacre's 24-length victory at Doncaster and 3lb above Altior's awesome 63-length display at Kempton.