Galopin Des Champs clear favourite on Punchestown return

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs is 1/2 favourite in Coral’s John Durkan Memorial Chase betting odds to begin his new season with victory on Sunday.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old kicked off a tremendous campaign with victory in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One last season before going on to lift the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the blue riband at Prestbury Park in March.

He suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow on his final start of the campaign in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April – and the pair are set to renew rivalry in the feature event on day two of the new-look Winter Festival in County Kildare.

Fastorslow (pictured below) is 4/1 in the John Durkan Memorial Chase betting odds to repeat the success, ahead of Appreciate It and Blue Lord, who are both 8/1.

Coral’s David Stevens said: “Although Galopin Des Champs was beaten by Fastorslow when they last met, we favour the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to gain his revenge this weekend, and he’s a red-hot favourite for Sunday’s John Durkan.”

Paul Townend is relishing the prospect of again riding the favourite, saying: “I’m looking forward to Galopin Des Champs, every day you get to get up on a Gold Cup winner is a brilliant day and they’re the type of horses we all want.