Galopin Des Champs will strive to etch his name into the record books on Friday as he bids to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second consecutive year.
Only eight horses have won the prestigious race more than once, with Al Boum Photo the most recent to achieve the feat in 2019 and 2020.
The defending champion heads into the race on the back of two emphatic Grade 1 victories at Leopardstown and will be tough to beat on Friday.
The Willie Mullins-trained horse ticks all of the key trend boxes and odds of 11/10 on horse racing betting sites should deliver a winning return to punters.
Fastorslow defeated Galopin Des Champs twice at Punchestown after last year’s Gold Cup, but was no match for him in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
He has never previously won over this distance and will likely struggle to keep pace with his rival when the race reaches the business end.
Gerri Colombe could be competitive if he can bounce back to form, while Bravemansgame will attract each-way support on UK betting apps after finishing second last year.
However, everything points to Galopin Des Champs retaining his title and crowning another stellar week for his all-conquering trainer.
