It was a frantic, dramatic and eventful Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup from the very start. Galopin Des Champs and A Plus Tard came into the race as the bookmakers' favourites and started the race at the back of the field, patiently waiting for their chance to explode towards the end.
Ahoy Senor took an early lead with Protektorat and Hewick following closely. It was Lucinda Russell's trained horse Ahoy Senor who looked powerful until the latter stages and with just six flights to go, he fell, taking Hewick down with him.
Ahoy Senor's fall also brought an end to Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead's hopes of a second Gold Cup win in a row as A Plus Tard pulled up shortly after.
With it now looking like any horse left in the race could win, Bravemansgame and Conflated emerged as Willie Mullins' biggest threat as they went head to head with Galopin Des Champs in the final hurdles. But it was Paul Townend aboard Galopin des Champs who took home the 2023 Gold Cup after a thrilling race in Cheltenham.
🏆 Galopin Des Champs wins the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup! 🏆
😁 @CheltenhamRaces redemption!#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @WillieMullinsNH | @PTownend pic.twitter.com/89qqOTJjhE
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 17, 2023
On St.Patrick's Day 2022, Galopin Des Champs was well on his way to Cheltenham glory during the Turners Novices Chase, but fell in heartbreaking fashion, gifting the win to Bob Olinger.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Prize Money
The top 5 horses were competing for a pot of £625,000. In the end, owner Audrey Turley won £351,688. Second place horse Bravemansgame earned £132,500, third place Conflated won £66,312, fourth place Noble Yeats won £33,125 while the fifth place horsewon. £16,625.
Paul Townend on his Gold Cup win
Speaking immediately after the race, Paul Townend said that "it brings winning to a different level."
It wasn't clean sailing anyways that's for sure. No matter where I went I was running into a bit of trouble. With the jumping, just got a bit careful for the first circuit but going out I had full faith in him that he was going to get me out of trouble and he did. Proper, proper horse because he's ran about three different races and still won the Gold Cup.
This race is just different, it brings winning to a different level.
"This race is just different. It brings winning to a different level!"
🏆🏆🏆 @PTownend is a three-time Gold Cup Winner!#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/wE4kG8O1dp
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 17, 2023
The 2023 Boodles' Cheltenham Gold Cup had been highly anticipated since the announcement of the stellar horses that would be racing. Willie Mullins' horse Galopin Des Champs went into the race as 7/5 favourite, with Henry de Bromhead's 2022 Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard and Paul Nicholls' Bravemansgame also fancied by many.
De Bromhead's Minella Indo and Emmet Mullins' Noble Yeats also made up the field alongside the likes of Ahoy Senor and Protektorat who finished third in the 2022 Gold Cup.
Back in 2021, Minella Indo won the Gold Cup for Henry de Bromhead with Jack Kennedy aboard, beating the likes of A Plus Tard and Al Boum Photo. Last year, A Plus Tard took revenge, with Rachael Blackmore beating Minella Indo to the Gold Cup with the 2021 winner finishing in second place.
SEE ALSO: Cheltenham Results And Reaction: All The Winners From Day 4 Of The Festival
