It was not quite business as usual for Willie Mullins at Leopardstown: his Grade One treble came in at odds of nearly 40-1, which tells the story of two warm favourites who were turned over by stable companions. Galopin Des Champs, though, did what his starting price of 30-100 suggested he should, and his defeat of Statler – another Mullins runner – in the Irish Gold Cup means he will head to next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup as the clear favourite for steeplechasing’s championship event.
Fury Road, an 18-1 outsider, was alongside Galopin Des Champs at the final fence before the favourite’s class started to tell, and one bookie briefly pushed him out to 15-8 (from 13-8) after his eight-length success. Mullins, though, saw only positives in his seven-year-old’s performance, with the promise of better yet to come from a horse with just six starts over fences to his name.
