Paul Townend is still savouring a “massive performance” from Galopin Des Champs in last week’s Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero lined up in the Grade One feature with something to prove following successive defeats at the hands of Fastorslow at Punchestown, but bounced back to his very best with a hugely impressive 23-length victory.

Townend admits Fastorslow’s withdrawal on the morning of the race undoubtedly made his task easier, but feels the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs would have proved a tough nut to crack in any case.

“Galopin Des Champs had a lot of questions to answer after his defeats at the Punchestown Festival and in the John Durkan, but he put in a huge performance at Leopardstown,” he said in his Ladbrokes blog.

“I rode him differently, he seemed to be very sweet, and he jumped brilliantly. Fastorslow was a non-runner on the day, and it’s impossible to know what would have happened if he turned up. However, Galopin Des Champs put up an absolutely massive performance and he would have been very hard to beat.

“I can’t wait to get back on him. Willie will probably bring him to the Dublin Racing Festival (Irish Gold Cup) and then onto to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup.

“It is disappointing when big names get beaten but it makes it all the sweeter and more enjoyable when they do come back and perform at the level they are capable of.”

Galopin Des Champs was one of five winners across two days at Leopardstown for the champion jockey, with the other major highlight being the victory of State Man in the Matheson Hurdle.

Many viewed his stablemate Impaire Et Passe as a major threat in the two-mile Grade One, but State Man swatted him aside with relative ease, ensuring the only horse to have beaten him when he has completed since joining the Mullins team is the mighty Constitution Hill in last year’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Townend added: “State Man just turns up and wins. He is a joy to ride.

“He is one of my favourite horses. He had a big task on his hands with Impaire Et Passe, but actually beat him snug enough come the line.

“Without Constitution Hill, he would be a real champion. He is probably not getting the credit he deserves because of that horse.”

Perhaps the most notable reverse for Townend over the festive period came aboard hot favourite Allaho in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

While far from disgraced in being beaten just under two lengths into third place, the rider admits he left the Sunbury circuit a shade disappointed.

He said: “I had a great spin around in the King George on Allaho. I really enjoyed it. It was my first time at Kempton and it was a really good experience.

“Shishkin departing at the second last felt like I was gifted a present, but by the time we landed at the back of the last, it was short lived.

“Hewick flew home and pushed Bravemansgame past me for second to take more money from us. It was a big run from Allaho. Did he stay? It is hard to know. He was outstayed by two really good horses.

“I couldn’t have had a better race, it all worked out perfectly, so I was disappointed to have been given a present and then have it taken away from me.

“It was a brilliant race to be a part of. The atmosphere was massive and they are the days you want to be involved with.”

Fastorslow will miss the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to the testing ground.

Martin Brassil’s charge was due to clash with fellow staying heavyweights Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe in a blockbuster renewal of the extended three-mile contest.

However, after 11 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, the ground at Leopardstown is now described as soft, soft to heavy in places – prompting Brassil to rethink running plans.

Fastorslow would have been meeting Galopin Des Champs for a third successive start, having beaten him in both the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of last season and in last month’s John Durkan Chase on the pair’s respective seasonal bows.

With Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow renewing rivalry, and Gerri Colombe looking to cement his Cheltenham Gold Cup claims, this year’s Savills Chase promises to be one to savour.

In an era where blockbuster clashes are bemoaned as a disappointing rarity, the feature event on day three of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival serves up a tantalising treat, with the aforementioned trio currently occupying to the top three spots in the betting for the blue riband at Prestbury Park in March.

Add to that the defending champion Conflated, another former winner of the race and Gold Cup hero in A Plus Tard and the latter’s stablemate Envoi Allen, and you have what could be a race for the ages.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father Willie, summed it up perfectly when saying: “It’s probably the race of Christmas and the race of the year so far.”

The big hope for Team Mullins clan is, of course, Galopin Des Champs, who looked set to become the dominant force in the staying chase division after winning the John Durkan at Punchestown, Leopardstown’s Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup last season. But he will line up on Thursday having suffered back-to-back defeats.

Many considered his shock reverse at the hands of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow in April’s Punchestown Gold Cup as a freak result at the end of a long season, but the latter went some way to dispelling that notion when handing the Mullins ace another short-priced beating in the John Durkan last month.

Galopin Des Champs was only third on that occasion and Patrick Mullins is hoping he can show his true colours on Thursday.

He said: “We’re looking for Galopin Des Champs to bounce back. He didn’t jump well in the John Durkan, but he’s schooled very well since.

“I think he ran very well at Punchestown considering how badly he jumped, so if he jumps better, he should be back to his best.

“Fastorslow has beaten us the last twice, so it’s for us to come and beat him, not the other way around. Fastorslow sits top of that division at the moment.

“Gerri Colombe is a hard horse to get a gauge on because he just does the bare minimum, but I’d think Leopardstown after all the rain will suit him very well.”

Galopin Des Champs is one of five declared runners for the champion trainer, with Appreciate It, I Am Maximus, Capodanno and Janidil also in the mix.

Appreciate It split Fastorslow and Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan when ridden by Mullins junior, who feels he again warrants respect.

He added: “Appreciate It ran a cracker in the John Durkan and he’ll be better going this direction.

“It’ll be a very differently run race I’d imagine, but we’d be hoping that he can confirm that his last run is the level he’s at.”

Fastorslow is out to prove there was no fluke about his successive Grade One wins at Punchestown.

“He’s in great form and I’m delighted with him, very happy,” said Brassil.

Gerri Colombe won the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on his first start outside novice company and while his trainer Gordon Elliott flirted with the idea of travelling to Kempton for a tilt at the King George on Boxing Day, he instead remains on home soil.

Conflated was not beaten far when third behind his stable companion at Down Royal, and a return to a track where he won both the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup last year is clearly a positive.

A Plus Tard has looked a shadow of his former self since his scintillating victory in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Envoi Allen cannot be discounted after pushing Gerri Colombe to a neck last month.

Trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “Both are in good form and it will be nice to get A Plus Tard out again. He seems well at home and we’re hoping for a good run.

“We’re trying to find our form with him, we didn’t really see it last year but we didn’t get much opportunity to either.

“Envoi seems in great form. He ran a great race in Down Royal and if he ran something similar to that we’d be delighted.

“We could have done without the rain for both of them I suppose, but it is what it is.”

Mouse Morris has been forced to rule Gentlemansgame out of his Christmas objective in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to a minor foot injury.

The grey burst on the three-mile chase scene when beating last year’s King George winner Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Morris had been preparing the lightly-raced seven-year-old for the Leopardstown highlight ever since, but the Robcour-owned gelding will now wait for either the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham or the Dublin Racing Festival.

“He’s just got a small issue with a foot, it’s nothing I’m concerned about but it’s the the timing of it that is a pain,” said Morris.

“It’s not serious, it’s just a total pain, so we’ll look at Cheltenham now or the Dublin Racing Festival, something like that.

“Unfortunately it’s been the case with him he’s had niggly issue that have kept him off the track but at least this is not one of his old problems, it’s just one of them things.”

Morris also had news of French Dynamite, third to Classic Getaway at Thurles last month.

“He came out of Thurles well, but he’s very hard to place now,” said Morris.

“I think I’m considering trying to get him qualified for the National so he needs to be placed over three miles, that might be what we do. We’ll jiggle him around a bit.”

The Savills Chase at Leopardstown remains under consideration for Paddy Power Gold Cup hero Stage Star.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old won four of his six starts during his debut season over fences last term, including Cheltenham Festival success in the Turners Novices’ Chase.

He made a winning return with a tremendous front-running display in one of the sport’s most prestigious handicap chases at Cheltenham last month and connections already have one eye on a Festival return in March, with the Ryanair Chase his most likely objective.

What route Stage Star takes back to Prestbury Park remains undecided, however, with Leopardstown’s Savills Chase on December 28 and the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield in January mooted as options.

On a trip to Ireland over the Christmas period, Owners Group racing manager Dan Downie said: “It is possible, I’ll have a chat with Paul next week and we’ll make a decision about whether we go to Ireland or not.

“It doesn’t matter where he goes now, it’s going to be tough.

“I think ideally we’d like to give him a run before Cheltenham, but we’ll have a chat next week, so I’ll probably know a bit more in a week’s time.”

Henry de Bromhead has indicated A Plus Tard is on course to make his comeback in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28.

The chaser looked to have the world at his feet when sprinting clear to win the 2022 Gold Cup at Cheltenham, but things have not gone to plan since then.

He was pulled up on his first run since Gold Cup glory at Haydock and was then a late absentee last Christmas at Leopardstown. He made it back to defend his Cheltenham crown but was pulled up after being badly hampered by a faller.

A Plus Tard was last seen finishing third at Aintree to Shishkin and is expected to be joined by stablemate Envoi Allen in the Leopardstown feature.

“I hope both Envoi and A Plus Tard will run in the Savills,” said De Bromhead, speaking to Leopardstown Racecourse.

“A Plus Tard schooled well the other day, he has another big piece of work coming up but he’s in good form, he seems really well.

“Envoi seems really well, he’s in great form. He ran really well at Down Royal so fingers crossed we get a clear run into the race and he’ll be able to put in a good performance.”

Another Grade One contender for the yard over Christmas is two-miler Captain Guinness, who swerved the Tingle Creek in preference for the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase closer to home on December 27.

“That’s the plan at the moment, we’d love to win a Grade One with him,” he said.

“He’s been brilliant, so consistent. Look, it’s a very good race but we’ll take our chance and see.”

Conflated is likely to bid for back-to-back victories in next month’s Savills Chase following a pleasing effort at Down Royal last weekend.

Gordon Elliott’s eight-year-old was a comfortable winner at Leopardstown last Christmas, his second Grade One victory at the Foxrock track having also landed the 2022 Irish Gold Cup.

He finished third behind Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, but subsequently failed to fire at Aintree and again disappointed on his return at Punchestown last month.

However, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding roared back to form in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Champion Chase, making much of the running and looking the likely winner at the top of the home straight before being mowed down late on by both stablemate Gerri Colombe and Envoi Allen.

Gigginstown’s racing manager Eddie O’Leary expects Conflated to be an even stronger force back at Leopardstown on December 28.

“He ran an absolute cracker and he’s entitled to go on to Leopardstown after that,” O’Leary said.

“He’s much better going left-handed, so if he’s kicked out of the way at Leopardstown then we’ll look at different options.”

Conflated holds an entry in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday week, but O’Leary all but ruled out a trip to Merseyside, adding: “We travel for Cheltenham and Cheltenham only!”