Arkle has the wrong favourite - and Galopin Des Champs still has a bit to prove

Opinion seemed split on Galopin Des Champs in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday and, as a whole, the race did not rate overly highly.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup ante-post favourite won a slowly run race and earned a Racing Post Rating of 174, which would have been enough to win just three of the last ten runnings of the Gold Cup.

The runner-up, Stattler (163) would have benefited from a stronger test of stamina, with the slow pace not suiting. Fury Road (162) achieved the same RPR in third as when filling the same position in the Savills Chase in December.