Galopin Des Champs joined an elite club of horses to claim back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cups on Friday.
The odds-on favourite, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, followed up his 2023 success in jump racing’s blue riband in emphatic fashion.
In second came the well backed Gerri Colombe with Grand National winner Corach Rambler in third.
Galopin Des Champs put up a performance fitting of the 100th anniversary of National Hunt’s premier prize to join Best Mate and Al Boum Photo as the only horses to win the Gold Cup in successive years this century.
Winning owner Audrey Turley described watching her pride and joy repeat his heroics of last year as “terrifying”.
“It does not get any easier, I will enjoy the race later on,: she said. “I still cannot believe it. He is so special to us, he is so kind so loving.”
For Mullins this was the crowning glory of a remarkable week in which the Irish master trainer notched up his 100th Festival winner on Wednesday.
It took him a long time to finally get his hands on a Gold Cup, but now has won four of the last six editions of the great race.
“All we were worried about was the loose horse over the last two fences,” said Mullins. “He made one mistake early on but that was it, phew!
“To win the 100th one, the week has been so good, it’s like a perfect storm.”
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