A punter saw their £40,000 bet go up in smoke when Galopin Des Champs fell at the last fence when well clear of the field in the opening race on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs - the 5/6 fav - had pulled well clear with a tenacious jumping display until the final jump, over jumped at that point and skidded to the ground to a terrible groan from the Cheltenham crowd.
That left Bob Olinger and Rachael Blackmore to ride home to victory.
One punter had a £25,000 bet to win over £40,000 on Galopin Des Champs, and fans were in a state of shock after the fall as Bob Olinger and Rachael Blackmore dawdled past to win, well clear of the 50/1 second Busselton. Jockey Paul Townend who rode Galopin Des Champs ASKED for a huge leap at the last even though he had the race won and that was the subject of much discussion on ITV Racing. Former jockey Ruby Walsh, who himself has fallen at the last jump with Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux with the race won defended Paul Townend.
“To me his riding here is perfect. The world are going to say you should have done this, you should have done the other but you have to make a decision and stick to it. The horse got the right height but then he just didn’t land. It’s just one of those things that happen in sport.”
Sir Anthony McCoy, also on ITV Racing, said after the race. “If you end up on your backside you’ve done it wrong, but there’ll be a lot of big days ahead for this horse.”
Immediately after the race winning jockey Rachael Blackmore, when interviewed, asked about the health of the fallen horses and jockey Townend, who both walked back to the stands defeated but unharmed.
Incredible Coincidences in Last Fence Fall
Willie Mullins - trainer of the fallen Galopin Des Champs - has seen big races disappear at the last at Cheltenham before. Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux both fell with the race at their mercy under Ruby Walsh in two different Mares' Hurdles.
However, Audrey Turley - the owner of the last fence faller - was previously the beneficiary of an incredible last jump drama herself here just a few years ago.
She saw her horse Burning Victory win when Goshen - who was clear at the last in the 2020 Triumph Hurdle - spectacularly unseat.
All horses and jockeys were fine in all of the above incidents.
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