Key Points
- My antepost pick had an ideal return run in the Savills Chase
- He has a fantastic record at this track and I expect him to enhance it here
- The testing ground expected will be absolutely perfect for our horse
It’s Wednesday and time for my first
free horse racing tip
of the week! Due to the Exeter and Leicester meetings being abandoned today, we are left with the AW action at Dundalk and Kempton. I had a look through both cards, but nothing interested me, so I’ve looked further ahead and found you an antepost selection for Saturday instead.
If you’re just discovering my content, I’m RacingGav and I’m the resident horse racing expert here at Betting.co.uk. I publish several articles every week which include a mix of daily and antepost betting tips, big race trends, and educational guides, so there is something here for everyone. Plus, if you are into antepost betting then it’s worth checking out my early selection for the
Pertemps Network Handicap
and my main selection for the
2026 Aintree Grand National
too.
Betting advice
- Saturday 31 January 2026 -
Leopardstown
- Irish Gold Cup -
Galopin Des Champs
@ 5/4 - 3pt Win
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Can Galopin Des Champs replicate Florida Pearl’s achievement?
In 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2004, Florida Pearl won the Irish Gold Cup for Willie Mullins. On Saturday, Galopin Des Champs will look to go one better by winning four consecutive renewals. I think he can achieve this and in this article, I’ll explain why.
Galopin Des Champs had the ideal return run in the Savills Chase
Considering the age and exposure of some of the top horses, it’s amazing how they keep coming back time and time again. Whilst Galopin Des Champs had an off day at Cheltenham (but still finished second) he bounced right back to win the Punchestown Gold Cup. However, there is always a niggling worry at the start of each season whether he has still got what it takes to win.
When Galopin Des Champs missed the John Durkan following a setback, the worries increased. However, I did take comfort in the fact that the Willie Mullins camp didn’t seem at all fazed. The attitude seemed to be that they weren’t worried about him having one less run this season, if anything, it could be a bonus for him, as he’ll be fresher for the races that matter later in the season.
Last month he went to Leopardstown to compete in the Savills Chase, where there was strong market support for him. He was backed into 6/5F but he could only finish third. Some would have been disappointed, but I thought it was fantastic. He cruised through the race and showed all of his usual spark when taking up the running. For me, it was as clear as day that fitness caught him out on the home straight, and I have no concerns about that. That should be the perfect stepping stone towards the Irish Gold Cup.
Galopin Des Champs has a fantastic record at this track and I expect him to enhance it here
Going into the Savills Chase, Galopin Des Champs had a perfect record of seven wins over fences from seven races at Leopardstown. Although it was a shame to see him lose that record, at the same time, you need to look at the bigger picture. I firmly believe he can bounce back to winning ways here.
Galopin Des Champs simply loves it here and this is clearly a very important race in Willie Mullins’ eyes. He has already recorded 14 wins in this race and I’m sure he’ll be doing all he can to ensure that win number 15 is added to the tally on Saturday. Galopin Des Champs has won the last three renewals for Willie, and he has won the race by eight lengths, four and a half lengths and four and three quarter lengths respectively, with no horse able to lay a glove on him.
In terms of the opposition, Affordale Fury and Haiti Couleurs are second and third in the market, but that’s largely because they are newer to the division. Many consider them progressive, but I think the gap they need to bridge to match Galopin Des Champs at his best is beyond them. Similar could be said about Spindleberry, and I see no reason why the likes of Fact To File, Inothewayurthinkin and I Am Maximus will be able to reverse the form with him either. At his peak, Gaelic Warrior would give him a race, but he is 0/3 at Leopardstown over fences, which is a concern, as well as the fact he has had a hard season.
The testing ground expected will be absolutely perfect for Galopin Des Champs
Galopin Des Champs won his three renewals of this race on ground that was Yielding, Soft and Yielding respectively. However, the stand out performance was his 2023 demolition job on Soft ground, which produced a remarkable RPR of 184. If RPRs are to be believed, that performance was his career best and I would find it hard to argue with that.
Based on RPRs his top three performances of all time were in that aforementioned race, then the 2023 and 2024 renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. All three of these runs were on Soft going, so this clearly seems to suit and bring out the best in him. With the official going currently rated as Heavy, he should relish these conditions.
Is there value in Galopin Des Champs at 5/4?
You’ve read my case for Galopin Des Champs, and as you can see, there are plenty of positives. He is 6/7 over fences here and he has won the last three renewals of this race. He did miss his intended reappearance race, but showed no ill effects in the Savills Chase. If anything, I thought he ran the perfect race considering the circumstances. Fully fit, and with ground conditions to suit, I think he will take an awful lot of beating here.
In terms of negatives, he is a 10-year-old now, but he showed no signs of aging on his reappearance run. On a horse’s second run after an absence, there is always a risk of them “bouncing” but it is usually after a very long absence rather than just a summer off. The fact that he usually eases back in over 2m 3.5f in the John Durkan, rather than a staying trip could raise concern. However, reports from the stable suggest that he came out of the race in great shape, ate up and so on. As a result, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Weighing it all up, I feel he has a massive chance of landing a fourth consecutive Irish Gold Cup, equalling the achievement of the legend that is Florida Pearl. Personally, I think Galopin Des Champs is an odds on chance for the race. In the last three renewals, he has gone off at 30/100F, 1/3F and 1/2F, respectively. While I don’t think he will go quite so short this time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him near the 1/2F mark either. On that basis, I think we need to move early and take the 5/4. Between his rock solid profile and the value currently available, I think he is well worth a sizeable 3pt bet.
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