In Cheltenham, England, the hopes of Galopin Des Champs to secure a third consecutive victory in the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup were dashed on Friday, as the thoroughbred was outpaced by Inothewayurthinkin in the iconic jumps race.
Throughout the 101-year history of the Gold Cup, only four horses have managed the remarkable feat of winning three consecutive titles, with legends such as Arkle and Best Mate among them. Galopin Des Champs, favored at 8-13, seemed poised to join this elite group. However, a dramatic turn of events saw the horse overtaken at the final fence by Inothewayurthinkin, who surged ahead to clinch victory by a significant six lengths.
The jockey for Galopin Des Champs, Paul Townend, expressed that the horse found the race challenging, remarking, “He was just not happy, everything was a bit of an effort. He still gave it a crack and gave them something to shout about for a long way.”
Willie Mullins, the trainer of Galopin Des Champs, had his eyes set on achieving a fifth consecutive race victory at the festival’s conclusion. His previous wins encompassed a notable triumph with a 100-1 outsider, Poniros, owned by Tony Bloom, who also owns Brighton soccer club.
Tragically, the event was also marred by the death of a runner named Corbetts Cross, who suffered a fatal fall at a fence during the Gold Cup. Cheltenham extended condolences to connections through a statement shared via ITV, the event’s broadcaster.
Galopin Des Champs encountered hurdles throughout the race, veering wide to avoid the fallen horse — as Ahoy Senor, the leader at the moment — stumbled at the eighth-to-last fence. Despite overtaking Gentlemansgame just before the second-to-last fence, Galopin Des Champs was unable to fend off Inothewayurthinkin, who entered the race at odds of 15-2.
Ultimately, Gentlemansgame secured a third-place finish.
While Mullins missed out on a fifth victory in one of British horse racing’s most revered events, he still enjoyed substantial success elsewhere at the festival. Victories included Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle, who impressively won despite it being his first race over hurdles. Furthermore, Kargese triumphed in the County Handicap Hurdle, Dinoblue claimed the Mares Chase, and Jasmin De Vaux emerged victorious in the Novices’ Hurdle.
These successes brought Mullins’ tally for the week to a remarkable 10 wins, equalizing his personal best for a single Cheltenham Festival.
