Galvin and Davy Russell© Photo Healy Racing
Galvin made the breakthrough at Grade 1 level when getting up in the shadow of the winning post to touch off the odds-on A Plus Tard in a thrilling renewal of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding, winner of the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last March and runner-up last time to Frodon in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, again showed great reserves of stamina to land this €175,000 feature of the four-day Christmas Festival meeting.
A Plus Tard travelled ominously well under Rachael Blackmore entering the straight and was pushed along to go past the front-running Kemboy approaching the final fence.
However, the 8/11 favourite was far from perfect at the last and didn’t find as much as expected under pressure with Davy Russell conjuring a powerful late run out of Galvin to touch him off by a short-head.
Kemboy, winner of this race in 2018, ran a gallant race finishing just three-quarters-of-a-length back in third with stablemate Melon in fourth.
Paddy Power and Betfair slashed Galvin into 6/1 (from 16/1) for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Power initially eased A Plus Tard out to 5/1 (from 2/1) for the Gold Cup but soon trimmed him back into 4/1 favourite.
Elliott said, "That's unbelievable. I had a tear in my eye for half the race, I'm not afraid to say it. We've had a tough year and it's brilliant.
“We started off having a bit of fun around Perth with him and he hasn't let us down the whole way. That's 12 races he's won now and he's a horse of a lifetime.
“He got into a lovely rhythm, he does that. He's a good horse and he stays like hell. He'll go straight to the Gold Cup now.
“I don't think he was much fitter today than he was in Down Royal but he got confidence out of that race.
“Jamie Codd gave him a beautiful ride, he hit the line well. I think the three-miles-two of the Gold Cup trip will suit him well.
“The way he stays if he can get into a rhythm anywhere at all, I wouldn't care if he was first or last going out on the last circuit, he'll come very strong in the Gold Cup.
“The horses have run out of their skin all week and to win that race is unbelievable.
“Ronnie Bartlett is a brilliant owner, a good friend and he's a gentleman.
“Russell is a great friend of mine, we've been friends since riding in point-to-points at 16 or 17-years-of-age.
“I'm very lucky to have Davy and Jack (Kennedy) at the moment. That meant a lot to Davy as well as he's very close to Ronnie.
“We don't let him ride for anyone else at the moment, he's too good to be giving to anyone else!'
(GC & AM)
