There was a moment just after the line in the Irish Gold Cup on Saturday, as Paul Townend stood up in the irons on Galopin Des Champs to acknowledge the acclaim from the packed stands, when the nine-year-old grabbed the bit and pulled for his head, apparently frustrated that he was being asked to slow down when he had only just started to hit his stride. The “turbo charge” that Townend talked about afterwards was still pumping through his system.
It was an awesome sight after Galopin Des Champs had set a demanding gallop from the off, and the bad news for any owners thinking of taking him on in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month is that Willie Mullins’s chaser will have an extra two and a half furlongs – and a stiff uphill finish – at Cheltenham, to take out his frustration on opponents.
