Cheltenham 2025: Willie Mullins would 'love another week' to ready Galopin Des Champs

The Cheltenham Festival's winningest trainer admitted helium would person preferred a six week spread betwixt the Irish Gold Cup and Cheltenham Gold Cup for the hat-trick seeker

Willie Mullins has admitted helium would person alternatively had much clip to hole Galopin Des Champs for his Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick bid.

After landing a 3rd Irish Gold Cup astatine Leopardstown connected Saturday successful emphatic style, Galopin Des Champs is present odds-on favourite for the Gold Cup successful which helium seeks to emulate the 2 astir caller hat-trick winners Best Mate and Arkle.

The Cheltenham Festival's winningest trainer is doing his champion not to deliberation astir the historical situation - but helium knows a “once successful a lifetime” accomplishment is tantalisingly close.

Golden Miller famously won the contention 5 times successful the 1930s portion Cottage Rake was a hat-trick leader betwixt 1948 and 1950, but Arkle and Best Mate person defined the modern epoch of the storied staying chase.

While Arkle volition ever basal connected his ain successful National Hunt folklore, it takes a genuine large to triumph the bluish riband 3 times successful a enactment and the Henrietta Knight-trained Best Mate was the past to bash it, betwixt 2002 and 2004.

But judging by the reception Galopin Des Champs and jockey Paul Townend received aft their triumph astatine Leopardstown, the nationalist are close down them.

“The reception Galopin Des Champs got successful Leopardstown was huge, I’ve ne'er seen thing similar it I think. It was conscionable a tremendous reception,” said Mullins connected Wednesday.

“The Gold Cup is 5 weeks connected Friday and I’d emotion different week. With those staying chasers you’d similar a minimum of six weeks, but the contention the different time was our Irish Gold Cup and to maine if you person a equine bully capable for it, you indispensable respect the contention and the gathering and spell there.

“To america present it’s unbelievable that we’ve got a equine that’s going for a 3rd Gold Cup and could beryllium successful the Best Mate/Arkle category.

“To beryllium associated with a equine similar this who is truthful good known present is simply a immense honour. We’re each delighted to beryllium progressive and we conscionable anticipation the imagination stays alive.

“We’ve got 5 positive weeks for that time to travel and I’m not dreaming it volition happen. If you deliberation it’s going to hap it astir apt won’t, truthful I’m going successful the other direction.

“If this equine tin bash what Arkle and Best Mate did, it’s a erstwhile successful a beingness job, isn’t it? I deliberation determination was 40 years betwixt them, truthful we’re possibly 20 years excessively soon!

“We had a spell with Al Boum Photo, but helium couldn’t triumph the third. I deliberation we’ve a spot much of a accidental this year.”