2023 Punchestown Gold Cup Tips
Galopin Des Champs has achieved three consecutive victories and the seven-year-old appears to be on an upward trajectory. Willie Mullins saw his charge land a victory in the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase back in December, with the runner then obliging by eight lengths when winning at the Dublin Racing Festival.
That was the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup over three miles on yielding ground and the horse was the stand out performer when sent off as the 7/5 favourite in the Cheltenham Gold Chase, with punters enjoying the chance to back the market leader at a decent price. A victory by seven lengths against Bravemansgame means that we have to afford the runner maximum respect.
The latter is set to go up against the favourite and Paul Nicholls’ runner has to be respected considering that the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival was close until the final exchanges. The horse previously won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and there’s the possibility that Envoi Allen could also be a fly in the ointment.
Envoi Allen was able to oblige as the surprise winner in the Ryanair Chase, with the Henry de Bromhead-trained charge fending off Shishkin by three lengths and perhaps Rachael Blackmore can guide the horse to a surprise win here. There’s no doubting the obvious class that the runner possesses, while Hewick and Fury Road are the other class acts.
Allaho didn’t run in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with owners Cheveley Park Stud deciding to keep the eight-year-old in the Ryanair Chase and it was a comfortable fourteen-length win for the horse to retain his crown. That was over two miles, four-and-a-half furlongs and we will now see whether the charge can handle a longer trip.
There was a win at Punchestown in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase over the same distance as the Ryanair, while the Mullins-trained runner ran at the 2021 Punchestown Festival but was only able to finish second behind Chacun Pour Soi.
Can Allaho Be Beaten in Punchestown Gold Cup?
There is a star-studded field lining up for this race and that includes Clan Des Obeaux. The ten-year-old showed that there’s life in the old dog when claiming a narrow victory in the Betway Bowl Chase at the Grand National Festival at Aintree, with Harry Cobden steering the horse to success.
Clan Des Obeaux won this race last year so he clearly runs well at Punchestown and the chief concern is whether the horse will have had enough recovery time after his Aintree exertions. Minella Indo hasn’t run since the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the 2021 winner of that race is trading among the favourites.
The nine-year-old finished a distance second to winner A Plus Tard in the 2022 renewal of the Gold Cup, although the Henry de Bromhead-trained charge won’t have the above horse lining up in this race and we can be fairly sure that stamina won’t be an issue for the runner.
Galvin and Fakir D’oudairies are also trading at single figure betting odds for what could be a really entertaining race. The 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup prices has the former at 6/1 and the Gordon Elliott-trained charge produced a solid showing in the Cheltenham equivalent finishing fourth but not far behind second-placed Minella Indo.
As for Fakir D’oudairies, the seven-year-old is bidding for a third straight victory after wins in the Betfair Ascot Chase and also the Aintree Marsh Chase. This is a horse with a highly promising chase career and he probably looks the best value out of any runner.
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