1st-May-2024

As usual, I think that Fastorslow should be closer to Galopin Des Champs in the betting than he is in Wednesday’s Punchestown Gold Cup.

Galopin Des Champs is a superstar, he is a dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner now, and he was very good again at Cheltenham last month.  It was a shame that Fastorslow departed at Cheltenham before the race really got going, he was doing everything easily up to that point, he was travelling and jumping really well for JJ Slevin.  Alas, we will never know how he would have fared.

On the positive side, it means that he didn’t have a hard race, and that augurs well for his chance in Wednesday’s race.  He beat Galopin Des Champs in this race last year, and he beat him again in the John Durkan Chase back at Punchestown in November.  We know that he goes well at Punchestown, he jumps a little to his right, so it probably suits him better than Cheltenham does, and I think that he has a big chance of beating Galopin Des Champs again on Wednesday.

FASTORSLOW WON (ADV 5/2, SP 7/2)