Tony McFadden highlights some of the key changes to the Timeform ratings following the Cheltenham Festival.
Galopin des Champs reaches lofty level
The cream of the crop in the staying chase division contested the Cheltenham Gold Cup and a worthy champion was crowned as Galopin des Champs (181 from 178p) produced an outstanding performance to register an emphatic seven-length success over Bravemansgame (174 from 173), with Conflated (168 from 166) a further six and a half lengths back in third at the end of race run at a sound gallop.
Galopin des Champs, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler a couple of seasons ago, had looked something special on his chasing debut at Leopardstown last term and only an unlucky fall at the final fence when clear in the Turners Novices' Chase prevented him from going through that campaign unbeaten.
There was to be no final-fence heartbreak for Galopin des Champs' connections this time around, however, as he was fast and accurate at the last and accelerated away afterwards in impressive fashion.
Galopin des Champs – who was winning his third Grade 1 of the season having claimed the John Durkan and Irish Gold Cup on his two previous outings – ran to a level in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that identifies him as the highest-rated chaser in training, and to a standard that very few horses have reached.
Only around 20 chasers in Timeform's experience have achieved a higher rating than 181, while in the last 10 years – in the post-Kauto Star era – only Don Cossack has posted a Gold Cup performance to match that produced by Galopin des Champs.
A soundly-run race contested by so many high-level opponents – the race featured the last two Gold Cup winners, plus the winners of the Grand National, King George and Savills Chase – provided the platform for Galopin des Champs to produce such a high level of form. And the visual impression was backed up by the clock with his timefigure of 179 the highest posted this season and matched by only his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Allaho in the Ryanair Chase across the last two campaigns.
El Fabiolo stars in Sporting Life Arkle
Constitution Hill (remains 177p) put up the best performance in the Champion Hurdle this century to beat a top-class rival in State Man (167 from 167p) by nine lengths, but he didn't quite match the level he ran to in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last season, where the race was run at a gallop more conducive to clocking a big figure.
Tuesday was the first time that Constitution Hill has failed to win by a double-figure margin, though he could have won by much further had he been asked any sort of question on the run-in. He remains rated behind only Night Nurse (182), Istabraq (180), Monksfield (180), Persian War (179) and Comedy of Errors (178) among the top-rated two-mile hurdlers in Timeform's history, though he retains the potential to reach the top if faced with a scenario that allows him to show the limit of his ability.
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Dysart Dynamo has failed to complete at the last two Festivals though played an important part in shaping the races he contested. He helped cut out the strong fractions in last season's Supreme until coming down three out, and he also set a fast pace in the Sporting Life Arkle until falling at the last when looking booked for fourth.
That strong gallop brought the best out of El Fabiolo (175p from 165p) who put up a top-class display to win by five and a half lengths from Jonbon (167 from 163p) who ran to a level that would have won him plenty of editions.
Jonbon had narrowly beaten El Fabiolo when the pair met in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree last season, but that had come early in the career of El Fabiolo who was a different proposition when they met on Tuesday and, faced with a pace scenario that allowed the cream to rise, he put up a performance which has only been bettered in the race this century by Sprinter Sacre.
Only five chasers in training are rated higher than El Fabiolo, though admittedly one of them is stablemate Energumene (180) who he will have to wrest the Champion Chase crown away from next season.
Corach Rambler enhances Grand National claims
The pick of the performances in the handicap chases was produced by Corach Rambler (157p from 149p) who followed up last year's victory in the Ultima, scoring off a 6 lb higher mark. Corach Rambler only won by a neck but he was value for more like a couple of lengths as he idled badly in the lead after an impressive turn of foot had carried him to the front, and that was a career-best effort from a lightly-raced chaser on the rise.
His come-from-behind style means he'll be reliant on some luck in running in the Grand National, but he doesn't pick up a penalty for last week's win and will have an obvious chance at the weights; indeed, he is 4 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings.
Notable efforts from novice and juvenile hurdlers
There may not have been the same fireworks in the Supreme as when Constitution Hill scored by 22 lengths last season, but Marine Nationale (159p from 150p) still produced a very smart effort to extend his unbeaten record, quickening three and a quarter lengths clear of Facile Vega (156 from 152) in taking fashion.
It was obviously nowhere near the level Constitution Hill achieved last season, but a rating of 159p is only 1 lb shy of what Appreciate It earned for his wide-margin Supreme success in 2021.
Just about the best performance by a novice hurdler last week, though, was put up by Impaire et Passe (162p from 149P) in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle. He showed bags of speed and impressed with how he took control on the turn for home before scooting six and a half lengths clear.
That was right up there with the best performances in the Ballymore this century, with only 2012 winner Simonsig running to a similar level. He should prove at least as effective back down at two miles and the only hurdlers of any experience in training who rated higher are Constitution Hill (177p) and State Man (167).
Impaire et Passe's trainer Willie Mullins dominated the Triumph Hurdle, sending out the first four home, headed by the 11/8 favourite Lossiemouth (149 from 141p) who made amends for an unfortunate defeat at the Dublin Racing Festival last month.
Lossiemouth had met plenty of trouble when runner-up to Gala Marceau at Leopardstown, forfeiting her unbeaten record in the process, but she proved her superiority at Cheltenham, leading on the bridle two out and keeping on well when asked to score by two and a quarter lengths. How last year's Triumph winner Vauban has fared this season highlights the jump required to open company, but before then Lossiemouth will take plenty of beating at Aintree or Punchestown, while the 7 lb sex allowance she receives from the geldings will aid her cause.
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