Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 25 November 2024

I’m not so sure that Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase will prove to have great relevance to the Gold Cup.

Yes it was a thrilling spectacle and Willie Mullins may be proved right that, on figures, this was the best ever renewal of the race, but the first three home were covered by two and three-quarter lengths and an extended 2m 3f right-handed around Punchestown does not have much in common with the extended 3m 2f left-handed around Cheltenham.

In my view Galopin Des Champs ran the best Gold Cup trial. He made much of the running and was only headed at the last, keeping on well to the line, over a trip that is these days short of his best.

He finished ahead of old adversary Fastorslow, who beat him by a length and three-quarters in the race last season, and the ground was possibly a touch quicker than he would have liked.

Afterwards Willie Mullins stressed that the horse’s main target is a third Gold Cup and if all goes well when he next runs in the Savills I would expect him to start at shorter odds than the 4/1 currently available.

Fact To File is evidently the apple of the trainer’s eye. Mullins took the unusual step of bypassing a hurdling campaign with the seven-year-old to go directly chasing from bumpers and it was interesting and significant that owner JP McManus had a serious ante-post bet on the horse to win last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase ‘for the staff’.

The son of Poliglote showed a turn of foot at Cheltenham last March – not something that was picked up in the form analysis – but rated at the time on 159 he was entitled to beat the next three home, who were on 147, 146 and 140 and his revised mark of 162 left him 17lbs adrift of Galopin Des Champs.

It will be very interesting to see what rating the winner is given following this success. Rated 162, he beat 155-rated Spillane’s Tower by half a length with Galopin Des Champs, on 179, in third and Fastorslow, on 171, back in fourth.

It is very early days, but given the trip and conditions in my opinion Galopin Des Champs came out with the most credit and he remains the one to beat in March.

At Haydock on Saturday conditions came right for Royal Pagaille in the Betfair Chase. This was always the main target for the 10-year-old and he took advantage of Grey Dawning’s clumsy leap at the last to rally and regain the lead up the run-in.

There has been some discussion regarding the runner-up’s stamina for the Gold Cup trip. He has two half-brothers who won over 2m 7f and 3m 1f and he comes from the family of top class stayer Teaatral, and he settles well in his races.

It is, though, a sobering thought that of the top 12 currently in the Gold Cup ante-post market he is the only English representative.

Bye for now

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