Cheltenham (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Galopin des Champs bids to join the legends of jump racing Arkle, Best Mate, Cottage Rake and Golden Miller as a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

Willie Mullins has nurtured many great champions but the 68-year-old is in no doubt as to Galopin des Champs being the best he has ever trained.

“He has to be, you’d have to say that,” said the Irish training titan ahead of the blue riband of the sport

“He goes out and takes it from the front and grabs races by the scruff of the neck -– and he battles off everyone” he added.

Mullins and the Gold Cup has been a bit like the old saying of waiting hours for a London bus before two came along – though in his case it has been four.

Having swept the board in most of the big races at the Festival the Gold Cup eluded him till 2019 when Al Boum Photo won the first of his two Gold Cups.

Al Boum Photo finished third when he tried for the threepeat but that was behind two outstanding horses, the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo Minella Indo and A Plus Tard.

The latter was to reverse placings with Minella Indo the following year before the Galopin des Champs show came along in 2023.

He will face eight rivals, five of them Irish making it odds on the Irish will extend their winning run in the race to seven.

Galopin comes into the Festival on the back of two wins – including the Irish Gold Cup – and should he be successful aged just nine he would have time on his side to even equal Golden Miller’s record of five victories.

His jockey Paul Townend, who like Mullins is bidding for a fifth Gold Cup, says Galopin des Champs makes jumping seem effortless.

“He obviously has huge, huge talent,” said the 34-year-old Irishman, whose only equine company at home in Ireland is three Shetland ponies.

“His appetite for it is the one quality that stands out.

“You can look at the last fence and ride at it like it’s not there. You know when you land, he’s going to gallop to the line.”

- ‘Give him a fright’ -

His toughest challenger may be the fences as it is not the classiest field ever assembled for the most prestigious race on the jumps calendar.

His likeliest rivals according to the bookmakers are Banbridge and Inothewayurthinkin.

Banbridge is certainly a contender based on his win in the King George VI Chase in late December, moving into top gear to overhaul the gallant French runner Il Est Francais.

“We’re well aware that Galopin Des Champs is a special horse and we’re very privileged to have a horse that can even be considered a rival, or one that could give him a fright,” trainer Joseph O’Brien told the Luck on Sunday programme.

“We couldn’t say that he wouldn’t get the distance and, probably what will be more telling, is whether we can beat Galopin on the day or not,” added O’Brien, who has won the Melbourne Cup twice, a rare race Mullins has competed for and failed to capture.

There was enough confidence behind Inothewayurthinkin to pay a fee to supplement him, though, his main target is the Grand National for which he is favourite.

However, with a lack of rain trainer Gavin Cromwell may have second thoughts and opt ultimately not to run him.

“If he does (run) then I definitely think he’ll get closer to Galopin Des Champs once again (fourth to him in Irish Gold Cup),” he said.

“Whether he’s good enough to beat him I’m not sure, but he’s come on again from the Irish Gold Cup.

“Having a run in the race will be good experience for him in the future.”

Of the others English duo Royal Pagaille and The Real Whacker, are solid performers, Ahoy Senor flies the flag for Scotland, whilst de Bromhead could once again spoil a Mullins stable star’s bid for three successive wins with his Monty’s Star.