Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs has died from injuries sustained in an accident in a field less than a week after being retired by connections.
Ruby Walsh revealed the news late on Tuesday evening that the 10-year-old gelding had suffered an injury to his near front leg which vets concluded was unrepairable.
‘Sadly Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved,’ Walsh said in a statement to Racing TV.
‘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.’
Walsh paid tribute to a horse that won not only two Gold Cups at the Festival but three Irish Gold Cups at Leopardstown.
Galopin Des Champs, pictured winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2024, has died
The statement continued: ‘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.’
Galopin Des Champs claimed victory in 12 races at Grade One level and the Cheltenham Gold Cup triumphs in 2023 and then a year later in 2024 made him one of the most popular horses in recent memory.
In 2025, when going for the hattrick of wins in the showpiece race he finished second to to Inothewayurthinkin.
It had been hoped that he’d participate again this year but was unable to race due to injury.
A third place finish in the Irish Gold Cup back in February proved to be his final outing.
Only last week, Willie Mullins confirmed that the legendary jumper was retired before the tragic accident five days later.
He said at the time: ‘We took a collective decision to retire Galopin Des Champs at his age because we felt he could not do himself justice at the level he was used to.
‘He retires a good, sound horse who will hopefully have a good second career as a sport horse.’
