Galopin Des Champs came through his pre-Christmas assignment in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown with flying colours.
Last seen winning at Fairyhouse in April having fallen at the final fence at the Cheltenham Festival with the Turners Novices’ Chase at his mercy, his reappearance had been eagerly anticipated.
Willie Mullins breathed a huge sigh of relief when the meeting was rescheduled after originally being lost to the weather, and in truth there was very little alarm for the 2-9 market leader once the race had started.
