Willie Mullins' Galopin Des Champs wins Savills Chase as odds shorten for Gold Cup

The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion powered clear of Gerri Colombe and stablemate Capodanno in the big race at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. William Hill go 5-4 for the Festival's feature in March

Galopin Des Champs returned to his brilliant best in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

Willie Mullins' reigning Gold Cup champion stormed clear of main opponent Gerri Colombe by 23 lengths. Bookmakers immediately cut his odds to 5-4 for his title defence at the four-day National Hunt Festival on March 15.

"He had questions to answer after his last couple of races but all credit to Willie Mullins for getting him back," said jockey Paul Townend. "When the big guns get beat, the pressure is on. I loved the way he took on the first and from there on I was very happy on him the whole way. It was pretty simple to be honest.

"If Galopin Des Champs turns up again in this form, he'll be hard to beat wherever he goes." Townend, tracked throughout by Jack Kennedy' on Gerri Colombe, upped the pace with three fences to jump.

A bold leap at the penultimate fence increased his advantage and he stayed on strongly to stamp his authority on the three mile contest. Gerri Colombe pipped the winner's stablemate Capodanno, a rank outsider at 80-1, for the runner-up spot.

"Galopin Des Champs returned to winning ways in style at Leopardstown and he's now a warm favourite to defend his Cheltenham crown in March," said Coral's David Stevens. Fastorslow, a horse who defeated Galopin Des Champs on his last two starts, was a late non-runner, along with Henry de Bromhead's Envoi Allen.