Galopin Des Champs Horse - Age, weight, trainer, owner, race record and form

Galopin Des Champs has triumphed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in each of the last two years to underline his status as one of the greats of modern National Hunt racing.

Having landed the prestigious prize for the first time in 2023 after seeing off nearest challenger Bravemansgame by seven lengths, he followed up to claim the Festival feature for the second year running in 2024.

That second success, achieved in some style as he finished clear of nearest challengers Gerri Colombe and Corach Rambler, made Galopin Des Champs just the third horse this century to land back-to-back Gold Cup victories.

Galopin Des Champs is priced at 5/2 to emulate the likes of Arkle, L'Escargot and Best Mate by winning the Prestbury Park feature for a third time in 2025.

Galopin Des Champs Trainer

Galopin Des Champs is trained by the very best in the business, Willie Mullins.

The Irishman is the all-time leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival with 103 wins and he became the first trainer to go beyond a century of victories at the meeting in 2024.

The Closutton maestro has been champion jumps trainer in Ireland 17 times and is right on course for another crown this season.

He took out his license in 1988 and saddled his first Cheltenham Festival winner via Tourist Attraction in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 1995.

He has won all the major races at the Cotswolds extravaganza, including five Champion Hurdles, four Gold Cups, two Queen Mother Champion Chases and a pair of Stayers' Hurdles.

The stars to have passed through his care include Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Annie Power, Vautour, Douvan, Quevega, Al Boum Photo and Un De Sceaux.

Mullins had more than his share of near misses in pursuit of the Gold Cup, with the likes of Sir Des Champs, On His Own and Djakadam all going close, before Al Boum Photo finally ended his quest for the most coveted prize in jumps racing in 2019.

He won the Grand National at Aintree in 2005 with Hedgehunter and has won most of Britain's Grade 1 prizes alongside an incredible tally of Ireland's richest races.

Galopin Des Champs Owner

Galopin Des Champs is owned and races in the yellow & brown quartered silks of Mrs Audrey Turley.

Her husband, entrepreneur Greg Turley, and his brothers Niall and Mark were raised in the car rental business in Dublin.

Argus Car Hire was the platform for CarTrawler, now one of the world's leading online car rental suppliers.

The Turley family sold CarTrawler to a private equity buyer in 2014, while Greg Turley's principal investment vehicle is RoundTown Investments Ltd, which provides growth equity for technology firms, including cybersecurity specialist Ekco.

Their colours have also been carried by former Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory as well as Sir Argus and Sayar, though Galopin Des Champs is by far their greatest success story so far.

Galopin Des Champs Age

Galopin Des Champs is eight years old.

Galopin Des Champs Cost

Galopin Des Champs was bought by the Turley family from Damien Bonne, a trainer and driver of trotting horses, in a private sale, with the fee undisclosed.

Galopin Des Champs Breeding

Galopin des Champs is a son of Timos, who came third in the Prix Foy in 2010, and Manon Des Champs, a winner on the Flat who has placed over hurdles and fences.

He is also the brother of Flute des Champs, a Listed winner at Auteuil who finished fifth in the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois, also known as the Grand Steeple-Chase for four-year-olds, and a half-brother to 1m3f/1m6f winner Star Des Champs.

Galopin Des Champs is a black gelding who was bred in France by Hubert Bunel, under the nom de plume of G A E C Des Champs.

Galopin Des Champs Official Rating

Following his second Gold Cup win at Cheltenham in March 2024, Galopin Des Champs has an official rating of 181 – making him the highest-rated chaser in Britain or Ireland.

His peak Racing Post Rating was 184 over fences, attained in the Savills Chase in December 2023, while he's rated 161 over hurdles based most recently on his Grade 1 novice hurdle success at Punchestown in April 2021.

Galopin Des Champs Record

Galopin Des Champs recorded his first win on debut at Auteuil in May 2020 before moving to Mullins. He was beaten on his first three starts before winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 off a mark of 142.

He followed up with that Grade 1 score at Punchestown the following month before embarking on his chasing career.

He won his first two outings over the larger obstacles, including a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival in 2022, and was set to collect the Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham in fine style only to come down on the landing side of the final fence when well clear, handing the prize to Bob Olinger.

He won all three starts to begin his second season as a chaser, each at Grade 1 level, including the Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he held off Bravemansgame by seven lengths in a clash of Britain and Ireland's best chasers.

He was surprisingly beaten by Fastorslow at Punchestown in their Gold Cup in April 2022 and doubts were raised when the same horse won the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in November 2023 on their respective comebacks.

Galopin Des Champs responded with an emphatic Savills Chase win at Leopardstown in December before getting the better of Fastorslow in the Irish Gold Cup at the DRF in February.

The eight-year-old then claimed his second Cheltenham Gold Cup in March 2024, seeing off the challenge of Gerri Colombe and Corach Rambler to underline his status as a leading light of jumps racing.

Galopin Des Champs Next Race

Following his heroics at Cheltenham, Galopin Des Champs looks set for one more run before connections bring his season to a close.

That outing will come in the Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday 1st May, a race he was beaten in by Fastorlow last year.

Galopin Des Champs has seen off his rival twice since then, including at Cheltenham, and he should go off as favourite on his final outing of the season.