Galopin Des Champs will be hoping to make it third time lucky when lining up for the €300,000 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup next Wednesday.

The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has had to settle for the runner-up spot behind Fastorslow in the Punchestown highlight the past two years but won’t face that sidelined rival this time.

The Audrey Turley-owned gelding has won just two of his previous six starts at the County Kildare track, but connections are keen to try again.

“It’s not his favourite track but with all this rain that is forecast at the moment it might tip things in his favour,” said trainer Willie Mullins.

“I always believe in bringing your Gold Cup horse back to Punchestown. Why should you just keep them in England.

“There is good prizemoney, and good racing deserves good horses. I think it’s incumbent on people to bring their horses there.

“They have the whole summer and most of the autumn to recover.”

Galopin Des Champs was second to Inothewayurthinkin at Cheltenham last month, but the JP McManus-owned Gold Cup winner is already on his holidays.

The eight entries for next Wednesday’s 3m1f test include Spillane’s Tower, Banbridge and Monty’s Star.