'Galopin is ready to rock' - Paul Townend thrilled to be back on board breathtaking Gold Cup winner

All that stands between Willie Mullins and a sixth John Durkan Chase success in a row, an eighth in nine years and a tenth in all, is Martin Brassil and his surprise package Fastorslow, who came from nowhere to emerge as one of the best staying chasers in training last season and takes on the Mullins quintet. 

The Punchestown Gold Cup last April was supposed to be a lap of honour for Galopin Des Champs. He was 4-11 to repeat his Cheltenham heroics, but it didn't work out the way most had expected as Fastorslow made the transition from useful handicapper to top-class staying chaser with an emphatic success at 20-1. 

There is a theory that Galopin Des Champs wasn't at his best there. Some say the effort of becoming the best winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the last decade according to Racing Post Ratings took its toll. This might tell us whether it was a fluke or not. 

Despite that shock defeat, Galopin Des Champs remains the best chaser in training and is no bigger than 2-1 to become a back-to-back winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

Although the John Durkan is nearly a mile shy of the Gold Cup trip, Galopin Des Champs is not short of pace and was a stylish winner of this race last year when 13 lengths too good for Fakir D'Oudairies. It was run the week before Christmas then, so it's much earlier this year in a revamp of the calendar. 

Those taking on Galopin Des Champs at skimpy odds will be hoping he isn't ready enough, but the entire field are basically having their first starts of the season. Asterion Forlonge did show up in the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil, but that was back in the middle of May. 

Fastorslow wins the Punchestown Gold Cup in April from Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame (right)Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Fastorslow has achieved a lot in a short space of time and his rating soared from 154 to 168 after he beat Galopin Des Champs here in April. He is a completely different animal to the one who was beaten 21 lengths into fifth when 66-1 for this race last year. 

Blue Lord has won first time out for the last three years in a row, so should not be underestimated, while Asterion Forlonge might well have beaten Allaho in this race two years ago had he not got rid of Bryan Cooper at the third-last when travelling ominously well. 

Appreciate It remains a horse of some intrigue and also goes particularly well fresh, but Stattler surely needs further and can be crossed off with confidence. 

Of those at bigger prices, Appreciate It appeals most but it will be disappointing if Galopin Des Champs doesn't begin his journey back to Cheltenham with a victory. 

'I felt he underperformed on the back of an extraordinary run at Cheltenham' – Townend 

Paul Townend is not convinced we saw the real Galopin Des Champs on his last public appearance. That was in the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of a long, tough season and on the back of an utterly emphatic Gold Cup success at Cheltenham 

According to RPRs he ran to a mark of 184 at Cheltenham and only 172 at Punchestown, so Townend certainly has a point. 

Townend said: "We're taking on Fastorslow again and Galopin is going there in as good a form as ours are at this time of year. 

"I felt he underperformed at Punchestown on the back of an extraordinary run at Cheltenham. I don't think Sizing John gets the credit he deserves for doing all three, especially coming back from Cheltenham to win at Punchestown. It's very hard to do. 

"Galopin is ready to rock and hopefully he can be as good this season as he was last."

'Beating Galopin Des Champs justified our belief in him' – Brassil

Just how good is Fastorslow? That is the poser for punters as he seeks to repeat his heroics from his last visit to the track when causing a huge shock at 20-1. Was it a fluke, or was there more to it than that? Can he do it again? And why is he such a big price when he has beaten Galopin Des Champs already? 

This will surely tell us a lot more about Fastorslow and whether he is a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender or not. He is no bigger than 14-1 for that. 

Martin Brassil said he has always had faith in his charge and his shock success in April simply justified the faith he always had in him. 

Brassil said: "He just got chinned by a very good National horse [Corach Rambler] at Cheltenham last season. It was the second time he's been chinned there, but he more than made up for it at Punchestown. That justified our belief in him. 

"Some people probably thought we were a little bit mad, and when you win a race like that at the end of the season as a 20-1 shot people are always going to say it was a fluke, but he had the Gold Cup winner, King George winner and Ryanair winner behind him that day, so he beat a lot of very good horses. 

"The only way to prove it wasn't a fluke is to go and do it again."

What they say 

Patrick Mullins, rider of Appreciate It
I'm very excited to get back on him. I think this is his ideal trip. I don't think he was at his very best last season for whatever reason and I'm expecting a big run here, although it's obviously going to be very difficult against the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cup winners. But I'm still hoping he can top his performances from last season.

Rachael Blackmore, rider of Stattler
All eyes are going to be on Galopin Des Champs, but we will be doing our very best to spoil the party. Stattler is a very good horse and I'm very much looking forward to him. It's fantastic to pick up the ride on him.

Read this next:

'He didn't put a foot wrong at Fairyhouse' - Gordon Elliott excited to get Imagine out again after flawless chasing debut 

The Racing Post Annual 2024 is out now! This exciting review of the racing year has 208 colour pages packed with the best stories and is beautifully illustrated with stunning images. The perfect gift at £19.99. To order, click here or call 01933 304858.