Galopin Des Champs (10/11 favourite) won the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 100th year of the famous race, at the Cheltenham Festival for the second time.
His stamina had been queried 12 months ago but this year many wondered whether it was possible for the eight-year-old to retain his crown in the Blue Riband event given so few had managed to do so in the past.
Galopin Des Champs' task was made easier when his great rival Fastorslow, who had shadowed him closely through the first circuit, made his first mistake and unseated JJ Slevin seven from home.
The pair had been racing just behind the pace set by The Real Whacker who was kept honest by L'Homme Presse but the runners began to spread out having jumped the fourth last and the race began in earnest.
Charlie Deutsch and L'Homme Presse went on and they had the loose running Fastorslow alongside which did Gerri Colombe no favours as he was boxed in on the inside with Galopin Des Champs on his outer. Paul Townend began to get serious on Galopin Des Champs and the champion responded, hitting the front two from home.
Gerri Colombe was on his heels but Galopin Des Champs produced a prodigious leap at the last to seal victory, keeping on strongly to record a famous victory.
Gerri Colombe ran a career best in second, finishing three and a half lengths adrift but nine clear of Grand National hero Corach Rambler who made up a lot of ground from his customary slot at the rear of the field. L'Homme Presse was another to run the race of his life, giving connections a huge thrill, but he had cried enough at the foot of the final climb, finishing fourth.
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Having sent out Al Boum Photo to win successive renewals, it was a fourth success in the Gold Cup for trainer Willie Mullins who told Racing TV: "He is classy isn't he?
"Paul (Townend) just jumped out, rode a race on him, he was never afraid to have him up there, in the van, just be at the races. We were just afraid about his first couple of jumps, the last two years he's come here he's ballooned them a little bit and this year Paul said 'no, we'll get him out there and get him racing earlier on and then settle him in and ride a race' and that's what he's done.
"Apart from the loose horse, there wasn't much worry was there? You didn't know which way he was going to go but it worked out in the end. And he was very brave over the last two fences, Paul was, he sent him down to them and said 'come on son, you'd better jump these two'.
"Last year he was just too free and less mature, now he's way more mature, settling in his races and much easier to ride and Paul has full confidence in him. He has more confidence in him than I have and I can see why; he was obviously getting that sort of feel from the saddle all along whereas I'm looking at it and thinking is he doing too much and getting into a battle too early.
"He is (the complete staying chaser). He gallops, he jumps, he stays, what more do you need?
"I normally come back to Punchestown with him; I'll have a word with connections. Racehorses deserve to run in good races and we need to see them at the racetrack and if they're beaten it's not the end of the world, they're still good horses."
Townend had been on board for both of Al Boum Photo's victories so was also winning the Gold Cup for the fourth time which saw him draw level with Pat Taaffe, jockey of the great Arkle, as the most successful jockey in the race's history.
Speaking on ITV Racing, he said: “Unbelievable. We had to draw on our reserves there.
"I rode him completely different to last year and he was just so brave for me. We were a bit in between at the last and I was afraid about going for it, but it was a Gold Cup and you had to – and he’s pulled out all the stops again.”
The jockey went on: “We obviously changed it up a bit this year, but he enjoys doing that now. I got in a good rhythm…
"With the way the programme has fallen at home now Willie supported it and it fell right for him. He usually doesn’t change things, but he did it with this lad, and we changed up the way we ride him as well. It’s easy when you are riding for Willie. You can go out and do things, change things. It actually went to Plan A probably, but if it didn’t you have free rein to change it up, and that’s the privilege of riding for the great man.
“To be honest it feels different to all the other ones. I can’t really believe it. I’m a bit lost for words. He pulled out every stop, and we went for reserves in the last furlong that only the very best have.
“He was brave the whole way around. The loose one was interfering with us a bit and it was messy, but what he found from the back of the last… He got up the hill last year, but that was a different kind of ride and we’d conserved everything. We did it the hard way this year.
“I don’t even remember my thought process in dealing with the loose horse to be honest. All you are doing is reacting in a split second, so it’s kind of instinct and luck.”
Winning owner Audrey Turley added: “I know he was favourite, but you never know with racing what’s going to happen and to win here today on the 100-year anniversary (of the Gold Cup), well that is very special.
“It’s just been fantastic and we’re so privileged to be here and so thrilled to be part of this magnificent team – Willie, Paul, Galopin and everyone else at Closutton, it’s just fantastic.”
Mullins was certainly in agreement adding: “I think he just put himself in the superstar category – to do what he did and the way he did it.
"He’s doing everything right and is achieving more than I thought he could. It was great to win a Gold Cup last year and we were crossing our fingers this year that if we got him there safe and sound, he’d have every chance of winning and he’s just done that. But you can only dream about these kinds of things.”
There is plenty more dreaming to be done by Mullins and his team with Wednesday's impressive Brown Advisory winner Fact To File also housed at Closutton and the possibility of that clash is a prospect to savour.
“It would be nice if he and Fact To File both were able to come here next year," he continued, "but as we know, horses are fragile, especially going over fences - it’s much harder to keep those chasers sounder, they just pick up little injuries, so it would be fantastic if both horses were able to come here next year."
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