Galopin Des Champs set for season debut at the John Durkan

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs is not a certainty to defend his John Durkan Memorial Chase title at Punchestown this weekend with new data via OLBG showing that only eight of the past 20 Gold Cup winners have been victorious the first time out the following season.

The Willie Mullins-trained superstar stayer makes his seasonal reappearance and will go head-to-head once again with Fastorslow who caused an upset with bookmakers in the Punchestown Gold Cup back in April.

Despite romping up the hill at Prestbury Park in March, OLBG have looked into the trends surrounding Cheltenham Gold Cup winners and how they have fared on return. Perhaps not as well as you might think.

• Over the last 20 years, only eight Cheltenham Gold Cup winners (40%) have won on their first appearance of the following season, with legends of the sport such as Best Mate, Kauto Star and Coneygree among the few who have. 
• The worst performer of the last 20 years on their return was 2013 winner Bobs Worth, who finished sixth in the Betfair Chase on his comeback, a massive 40 lengths behind winner Cue Card.
• 2012 winner Synchronised’s next appearance was the 2013 Grand National where he was a faller, while Don Cossack, a Gold Cup winner in 2016, was subsequently retired after his stunning win over Djakadam.

Currently a 1/2 favourite for the John Durkan over 2m4f this weekend, Galopin Des Champs is certainly not a guaranteed winner based on those statistics.

Though even when winning the race, the French-bred seven-year-old’s chance of retaining his Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 2024 could also be in jeopardy.

• Just four of the past 20 winners of the John Durkan have gone on to pick up a victory at the Cheltenham Festival in the same season - with three in the past four years, including Galopin Des Champs’ double last year.
• 2019 winner Min followed up a Punchestown score with a victory in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, Allaho also won the Ryanair having been victorious at Punchestown, while Galopin Des Champs went on to win the 2023 Gold Cup after his John Durkan success.
• Though nine of the last 20 winners of the John Durkan (45%) have placed in subsequent races at the blue riband Festival

How Cheltenham Gold Cup winners have fared on their first run of the following season

How winners of the John Durkan Memorial Chase have fared at the Cheltenham Festival

*Did not run at the Cheltenham Festival in subsequent two years or more

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