Cheltenham Festival 2024 Day Four: Galopin Des Champs to strike Gold again

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS can strike for a second successive year with another victory in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (GBB Race) (3.30pm) on the final day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

Willie Mullins' eight-year-old can emulate former stable-mate Al Boum Photo (2018-19) and land back-to-back victories in the Grade One feature on the fourth day of the Festival at Prestbury Park. Galopin Des Champs ran out a superb winner of National Hunt racing's blue riband event 12 months ago, travelling and jumping superbly throughout. He stayed on up the hill really well, beating the reopposing Bravemansgame by seven lengths.

He was suprisingly beaten by another of his rivals Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup a month after his Cheltenham victory. He was also behind Martin Brassill's eight-year-old on his seasonal return over a now inadequate 2m4f in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in November. But in his two runs since he has shown he is the leading staying chaser beating Gerri Colombe by 23 lengths in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. Then he reversed the form with Fastorslow comfortably to land back-to-back victories in the Irish Gold Cup. He looks set to do the same at Cheltenham.

Fastorslow and Grand National hero Corach Rambler are two who could go well and possibly run into a place. But Galopin Des Champs looks too good for rivals and can win again.

MAJBOROUGH can win the Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle (GBB Race) (1.30pm). With the doubts surrounding Nicky Henderson’s stable previous warm favourite Sir Gino is also out of the race and Festival centurion Mullins’ bandwagon still rolling on, Majborough is the pick of his battalion to land the two-mile juvenile contest. With Sir Gino following Seven Barrows stable stars Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Shishkin by all missing their big races with illness sweeping through the yard, the stage is set for Mullins to star again. The four-year-old French import won a Grade Three hurdle race at Auteuil when trainer by Johnny Charron before being bought by JP McManus and sent to Mullins. He finished third to stable-mates and Triumph rivals Kargese and Storm Heart in a Grade One Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival last month. Majborough can build on that and reverse the form with his stable-mates and give Mullins a fourth win in the past five runnings.

Punters may be in profit with more Mullins' multiples and READIN TOMMY WRONG could be part of at least a treble for the leading Festival trainer with victory in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Spa Novices' Hurdle) (GBB Race) (2.50pm). The six-year-old is unbeaten in his last four starts, winning a couple of bumpers at the start of last summer before landing a maiden hurdle success at Cork in November. He grabbed a first Grade One success in the Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle in January over 2m4f. A strong traveller and good jumper, now stepped up to three miles for the first time Readin Tommy Wrong can land another at the top level.

Dan Skelton has been one of the few British trainers to hold his own against the Irish in the handicaps at Cheltenham and his L'EAU DU SUD can give him another victory in the BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (2.10pm). Skelton has won this race four times in the past eight runnings and he can hold off a typical strong Irish challenge to take the race again. French import L'Eau Du Sud hasn't won in five starts over hurdles since switching to the Skelton stable. But he ran a superb race when second to Iberico Lord at big odds in the competitive Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month. He can build on that and land that first victory ahead of chiefly Gordon Elliott's former Grade One performer Pied Piper, stable-mate King Of Kingsfield and the Mullins-trained Absurde.

Emmet Mullins' IT'S ON THE LINE can continue his fine form with another victory in the St James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (4.10pm). The seven-year-old has won a point-to-point then two similar hunter chasest at Down Royal and Naas so far this season, beating the reopposing Billaway – who won this in 2022 – by a head in the last one. He is in fine form and can make it four-in-a-row this season.

Gavin Cromwell's Randox Grand National entrant LIMERICK LACE can upset warm favourite Dinoblue and win the Grade Two Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares' Chase) (GBB Race) (4.50pm). The seven-year-old can book her ticket to the world's greatest steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse on April 13 alongside stable-mate and last year's Aintree runner-up Vanillier with victory in the 2m4f contest. Limerick Lace has won both her starts in mares only events at Clonmel and Doncaster so far this season and she was also second to Coko Beach over three miles in the Troytown Handicap Chase in November. She has a good chance of denying Mullins' Dinoblue.

Henry De Bromhead's WATERFORD WHISPERS may be able to win the finale to the 2024 meeting, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (5.30pm). The six-year-old scored twice earlier in the season at Galway and Fairyhouse. He was second to Champagne Admiral at Leopardstown over Christmas and looks to have been laid for this competitive contest. Other Irish raiders, the Mullins-trained Quai De Bourbon and Elliott's Better Days Ahead could also go close.

Wright Ones

CHELTENHAM DAY FOUR

1.30pm Majborough
2.10pm L'Eau Du Sud (NAP)
2.50pm Readin Tommy Wrong
3.30pm Galopin Des Champs
4.10pm It's On The Line
4.50pm Limerick Lace
5.30pm Waterford Whispers