The Irish Gold Cup on Saturday is set to be a thrilling rematch between Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow, with the pair meeting for the fourth time.
Whilst Fastorslow has come out on top in their last two clashes – the Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan Chase – Galopin Des Champs appeared to have reignited the spark that saw the Willie Mullins-trained gelding win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, when taking the Savills Chase by an emphatic twenty-three lengths over the festive period.
"It's going to be a hell of a race. I hope it turns out well and that the two of us are coming to the second-last, or indeed even the last – it's going to be a great race," said Mullins.
"He put two middling performances behind him, we changed tactics on the day and it worked. Hopefully he hasn't left his season behind him there, but it was a good enough race to win anyhow. Hopefully he can do the same again on Saturday and we can go on to Cheltenham after that.
"We've been very lucky in the race but I've always targeted the race, whereas some people miss it to go to Cheltenham. It's the Irish Gold Cup, it's got great prize money and we must support our own races, that's my view.
"I remember coming home from the races one day and my wife Jackie asking me if we'd ever have a horse good enough to run in the race, never mind win it. I appreciate whenever we have a horse good enough to run them, I enter them and see what happens."
Fastorslow, trained by Martin Brassil, continues to improve and has been kept fresh for the race following a success in the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase at Punchestown in November. Although he initially expected to take on Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase over Christmas, connections chose to withdraw the gelding on the day due to soft ground.
"It's easy to get up in the mornings when you have a horse like him, we have other nice horses as well but he's the star attraction all right," said Brassil.
"Any horse that goes to Cheltenham and just comes up on the wrong side of the lollipop has to be a fair horse, he gave the National winner weight and he was a really strong National winner and it's possible he could be in the Gold Cup too.
"He's not short of pace, people don't notice how fast he jumps, he's very slick over a fence, he makes a bit of ground at every fence and over 16 or 18 fences it all adds up.
"I don't think he's underestimated after what he did in the John Durkan, he's a solid second favourite and if he runs up to what is expected, we'd be happy."
The pair will be joined by Irish Grand National winner I Am Maximus and Gordon Elliott's Conflated, who was victorious in the 2022 renewal of this race.
