Two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs dies

Galopin Des Champs, the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, has died less than a week after being retired.

In a statement to RacingTV on Tuesday, the former jockey Ruby Walsh, said: “Sadly Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved.”

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Galopin Des Champs also won three Irish Gold Cups, two Savills Chases and a Punchestown Gold Cup.

The 10-year-old was retired from racing by trainer Willie Mullins last week.

When announcing his retirement, Mullins said it was because “he could not do himself justice at the level he was used to”.

The jumper won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024 and won 12 races at Grade One level.

Walsh added: “He was checked a few times throughout the morning, but late in the morning when I went to get him for exercise I found him with a severe injury, high up on his near front leg. He was attended to by our vets immediately, but X-rays revealed extensive unrepairable damage.

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“He was a fabulous racehorse whose short time with us has left lots of broken hearts but none more so than those of Greg, Audrey and Sarah Turley, and Adam Connolly, who looked after him for so long. He will be sadly missed.”