Punchestown Gold Cup Big Race Verdict: Spillane's has to be the answer at 5/2

• Four to challenge for this year's Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday

• Is Galopin Des Champs a vulnerable 11/102.11 favourite? 

• Alan Dudman provides the Big Race Verdict for Wednesday's Grade 1 

Has the Champ lost his aura? 

Small but select is applicable for the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday and Galopin Des Champs is out to banish his defeat at Cheltenham as a mere remote memory.

Willie Mullins' blue riband chaser couldn't complete the "threepeat" at Cheltenham but there was no disgrace in losing out to a highly impressive winner, and while Galopin wasn't quite at his best, his best was still pretty good. Inothewayurthinkin has the potential to be a great, and the performance looked like a younger rival with more zip beating the old warrior.

It's another hurrah at this race too as Galopin Des Champs has twice finished behind Fastorslow in the race and Willie has won it six times.

He's priced at 11/102.11 for Wednesday's showpiece, and while there could be an argument to put him in as odds-on, he was beaten at Punchestown in the John Durkan in November, was second in this race 12 months ago at odds of 1/21.50 and third in the previous year's John Durkan, again at 1/21.50.

It may be a case of clutching at straws but from visits here he has won just once - beaten on soft, good to soft on the other four visits.

He's been brilliant under the Mullins and Townend aegis, but Cheltenham proved there's a chink to his armour now, and Punchestown has also proved that in the past.

Spillane's Tower to finally make an appearance!

Over fences at Punchestown, Spillane's Tower has a superior record compared to Galopin Des Champs with a CV of: 2111 and they'll need to be going heavy with the watering for him, as the bare minimum for Spillane's Tower is good to soft.

He won on this card as a novice 12 months ago when taking the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase, and he beat Monty's Star with more authority than the bare margin suggested. Indeed, that day none were travelling better two out and Mark Walsh was even afforded the luxury of switching his mount out wide and jumped well for a statement win. The hopes were high for this season, especially after his John Durkan second with Galopin Des Champ behind him. He flopped in the King George and since then hasn't raced.

It could be a blessing that he skipped Cheltenham, as he meets Galopin Des Champs and Banbridge as the far fresher horse.

Monty's Star is the ride for Rachael Blackmore and here's what she says on her exclusive Betfair Blog on his chances: "I'm really looking forward to riding Monty's Star in the Punchestown Gold Cup.

"He ran a big race at this meeting last year, going down by three parts of a length to Spillane's Tower in the Grade 1 novice chase. We will be facing Spillane's Tower again this year, as well as Galopin Des Champs and the King George winner Banbridge. It's just a four-horse race but it's a really strong race, as you would expect for a Punchestown Gold Cup."

"Monty's Star ran his race at Cheltenham to finish fourth in the Gold Cup, and he has come out of the race really well. We don't have a lot to find with Spillane's Tower on their running at Punchestown last year, and I hope that we can be bang there again."

Tactics and a race made for Spillane's

Galopin Des Champs led early in the race 12 months ago and with such a small field, and Paul Townend will want to maintain his remorseless galloping and jumping style wary of a tactical race.

Monty's Star tends to be ridden in touch and did so in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Banbridge looked a complete non-stayer at Cheltenham and mistakes at the end of the race cost him too.

I can see a repeat of the Walsh ride at the Punchestown Festival last year and not only will he have the pace to deal with a less than searching gallop, him and Monty's Star were well clear of the third in the Grade 1 Novice last term to indicate stamina isn't an issue either.

Now read Rachael Blackmore's blog on her rides for Wednesday here!