Sir Des Champs became Ireland’s leading contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup when he outstayed Flemenstar in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
While the three-mile (4800m) Grade One looks to have ended the Gold Cup dream for Flemenstar’s connections, it has cemented plans for Sir Des Champs who had finished behind Flemenstar in his two previous starts this season.
The winner’s stablemate Quel Esprit, successful 12 months ago, set the pace in a four-horse affair but the race developed into a duel between the big two over the last two fences.
Andrew Lynch hung on to Flemenstar until after the last but he could not quicken to go past Sir Des Champs (11-8), who prevailed by a length and three-quarters.
Sir Des Champs is two from two at the Cheltenham Festival and was cut to 9-2 second-favourite with Stan James to make it a hat-trick in the Gold Cup, for which the Nicky Henderson-trained Bobs Worth is 3-1 favourite.
“He jumped well, did it well and it looks like there’s more improvement,” trainer Willie Mullins said.
“Every year he improves in the spring. He’s been to Cheltenham twice and he loves the place.
“He loves that hill, so I’m hoping that he can show what he did the last two years, that he can keep improving coming into March.”
Flemenstar could yet be seen at Cheltenham over a shorter distance in either the Queen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase.
