The winner of the Blue Riband race on the National Hunt calendar has been crowned.
Galopin Des Champs delivered a terrific round of jumping for Paul Townend to claim the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup on the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins’ stable star battled Bravemansgame after the second last before racing clear of the King George hero from the final fence.
Conflated, with Sam Ewing on board as a late replacement for Davy Russell, jumped into third and Grand National scorer Noble Yeats stayed on to complete the places.
A relentless early pace saw Stattler and 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo pulled up early doors before Ahoy Senor suffered a nasty fall when dictating the pace which caught out Sounds Russian.
A Plus Tard was hampered by the fallers and swiftly pulled up by Rachael Blackmore before the pace wound up in the final furlongs as Hewick took over. Shark Hanlon’s American Grand National winner suffered a nasty fall at the second last, however, as the leading pair pulled away from the pack.
Cheltenham Gold Cup result
1 – Galopin Des Champs (7/5)
2 – Bravemansgame (6/1)
3 – Conflated (22/1)
4 – Noble Yeats (14/1)
5 – Protektorat (25/1)
6 – Royale Pagaille (50/1)
7 – Eldorado Allen (100/1)
F – Ahoy Senor, Hewick
PU – Stattler, Minella Indo, A Plus Tard
BD – Sounds Russian
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