August has once again been a busy month across the sport.
However this edition had to sadly alter at the eleventh hour given the sad news that came out of Ireland yesterday with the premature passing of dual Gold Cup winner, Galopin Des Champs. Having only recently announced his retirement last week, it does seem incredibly cruel that the racing fraternity alongside the Willie Mullins team and his owners Greg and Audrey Turley, are mourning his loss and not enjoying his well deserved second career.
Please do though read on as there is much to interest you. From Rumstar continuing to compete at the top level for Jonny Portman to Jack Langley flying the flag for our Stowe Racing team so well and giving us some excellent days out at Newmarket to our former inmate, Grasshopper Time, thriving in his new career.
As ever, please do forward this newsletter on to any of your Stowe friends and family who might not be aware that we exist and enjoy the remainder of your summer.
Galopin Des Champs, Dual Gold Cup hero dies just days after retirement
Galopin Des Champs, the emphatic dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and one of the best staying chasers of recent times, has died just five days after it was announced he had been retired.The ten-year-old’s racing career came to an end just last week when trainer Willie Mullins announced his retirement, after which he said Galopin Des Champs would be looked after by Ruby Walsh’s daughter Isabelle for an eventing career. However, he has since suffered a fatal injury.
Owned by Greg and Audrey Turley, this wonderful horse won 12 Grade 1s in a stellar career, including back-to-back victories in the Cheltenham Festival showpiece in 2023 and 2024 as well as finishing runner up last year behind Inothewayurthinkin in his bid for a famous hattrick under his regular jockey Paul Townend.
He missed the race due to a setback this year, with his third in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February proving to be his last race.In a statement announcing his death, Ruby Walsh said:
“Sadly, Galopin Des Champs suffered an injury in his field this morning and could not be saved. “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. He was a fabulous horse 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 and Paul Townend in full flow in the Gold Cup
GRASSHOPPER TIME ENJOYING HIS NEW LIFE
As I have reported in past newsletters, ensuring our horses have new careers after their racing careers are behind them is important.
I am thrilled to report that Grasshopper Time, who retired from racing last summer, finished 4th and 6th in some his combined training classes at the KBIS Championships at Addington. Our sincere thanks to Ruth Wollerton who is looking after him so well and has given him the most wonderful home.
Keep an eye out for them at the Cornbury House Horse Trials on 10th September and then again at Blenheim Horse Trials on 17th and 18th September in the Retraining of Racehorses class.
If you are planning to attend either of those events, then please look out and cheer on Ruth and Grasshopper!
RUMSTAR CONTINUES TO SHINE FOR TEAM PORTMAN
The admirable Rumstar has been the apple of Jonny Portman’s (Chatham 83) eye for the past few seasons. As reported in the last edition, he became the first horse to successfully defend his crown by winning the Coral Charge – a Group 3 sprint over 5 furlongs at Sandown.
In Jonny’s longstanding training career he is yet to bag a Group 1. Now granted you do genuinely need a top horse to be able to do that and Rumstar gave his many supporters a good cheer when he finished an excellent third in the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York last month netting a further £64,000 for his efforts.
Many congratulations!
TRAINERS CHAMPIONSHIP IS NECK AND NECK
With exactly four months to go before the end of the flat trainer’s championship, it is probably worth bringing to your attention how close the UK flat competition is.
Unsurprisingly, Aiden O’Brien’s all conquering Ballydole team is out in front on £7.7million in earned prize money however Andrew Balding, who is having one of his best seasons in his twenty year training career, is £630,000 behind.
Now that does sound a large deficit however with many big Festivals to come and with the Kingsclere trainer likely to be represented in many of the top races, there is every chance he could run O’Brien close.
From a personal point of view, wouldn’t it be a refreshing change to see Balding rather than O’Brien on the trophy come New Year’s Eve?
CONSTITUTION HILL LIKELY TO RETURN THIS WEEK
The long-standing news item that is Constitution Hill has another chapter to write because he is a likely runner in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton over 1m 4f.
The 2024 Champion Hurdler underwent a dramatic transfer to the flat after falling in three of his last four races over hurdles.
Two convincing flat wins at Kempton and Southwell have given Nicky Henderson (trainer) and Michael Buckley (owner) confidence to aim him at something more valuable hence the entry on Saturday with top jockey Billy Loughnane booked to ride and be his third new rider in as many races on the flat.
Whether as the age of nine he is quite up to that class, it remains to be seen? But as ever one cannot help feeling a sense of willing Constitution Hill to climb up the flat ranks as he really has been one of the best talents to emerge from our shores for many a decade.
Constitution Hill romping clear at Southwell on his flat debut back in February 2026.
UPCOMING ENTRIES
JACK LANGLEY – Lingfield on 12th September or Chester on 19th September
‘Jack’ has been running very consistently for our Sir Bob, Stowe Racing & Friends team finishing 2nd and 4th this month. On both occasions our owners were able to enjoy the splendid surroundings of Newmarket’s July course, we look forward to seeing him out again very soon.
Some of Jack Langley’s owners enjoying Newmarket last month
News on our other Stowe Racing horses:
BELCAMO
Alex Hales
Unfortunately, this chap is on the sidelines at the moment having injured his hock meaning he requires eight weeks box rest. He is about a third of the way through this and so it won’t be until mid-October before we know if everything has healed correctly.
One of the downsides of racehorse ownership unfortunately but we are keeping our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.
FOREVER FAITHFULL
Jonny Portman
In brighter news, our new flat filly has been painstakingly nursed back to fitness by Jonny and his team. She too required some time in her box doing very little, but she is back doing faster work now and we expect her to make her long awaited reappearance during the middle of this month.
Fingers crossed FF can get back on track over the coming weeks.