As we head into what will surely be another incredible Cheltenham Festival, one name is on everybody’s lips – Galopin Des Champs.
This remarkable chaser from trainer Willie Mullins is tipped to win his third consecutive Gold Cup, putting him on a par with the greats of Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate.
While he has every chance of achieving this incredible feat, it is still difficult to imagine that he will capture the hearts of past winners like Desert Orchid, whose name still conjures up memories from a time when televised meetings brought the excitement of the race into living rooms, and fans followed their favourite horses with a passion that rivalled any modern-day sporting hero.
So what was it about Desert Orchid that captured the public’s imagination and hearts to the extent that he remains a household name to this day? And how would he fare up against the competition in 2025?
For those inspired by legendary figures like him, today’s racing offers a great way to engage with the action by taking advantage of sign up offers, which range from matched deposits to free bets to odds boosts. They may not have been available when Desert Orchid was making history, but thankfully, they are today if you believe Galopin Des Champs can win again in 2025!
Fondly Known as Dessie
Desert Orchid, affectionately known as “Dessie,” emerged as one of racing’s most beloved figures during an extraordinary career that spanned from 1983 to 1991.
Born on April 11, 1979, this striking grey gelding was bred by Jimmy Burridge and owned by Richard Burridge. Under the expert guidance of the now-retired trainer David Elsworth at his Whitsbury stables in Hampshire, Desert Orchid developed from an impetuous youngster into a racing phenomenon.
After a winless first season of four hurdle races, he blossomed in 1983/84, stringing together six consecutive victories, including the Tolworth Hurdle. His striking appearance and front-running style quickly caught the eye of racing fans.
The turning point in Desert Orchid’s career came in 1986 when Elsworth made the bold decision to step him up to three miles for the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Many considered this an act of lunacy, but Desert Orchid proved his versatility by winning impressively.
This victory marked the beginning of his dominance at Kempton, where he would ultimately win the King George four times, a record only broken by Kauto Star’s dominance in the 2000s when he won the race five times.
1989 Gold Cup
By the 1988-89 season, Desert Orchid had reached his peak. His versatility was unquestionable – in one season, he won five major races on the run-up to the Gold Cup, three of which were under the crushing weight of 12 stone.
And it wasn’t about to get any easier as 12 stone was also the weight of the day for the Gold Cup, and under regular jockey Simon Sherwood, he was aiming for an impressive streak of eight consecutive victories.
However, the weather was atrocious, with snow and rain turning the ground heavy – conditions that were far from ideal for Desert Orchid, who did all of his best work when the going was good.
Despite this, his fans had complete confidence, and bookies sent him off as the 5/2 favourite.
The race itself was dramatic. Desert Orchid set off in his trademark front-running style, building a sizeable lead with spectacular jumping. However, as they turned for home, the mud-loving Yahoo took the lead and appeared to have Desert Orchid’s measure.
In a display of extraordinary courage, Desert Orchid rallied under Sherwood’s urging, regained the lead in the final hundred yards, and forged ahead to win by a length and a half.
The People’s Champion
Desert Orchid’s Gold Cup victory resonated far beyond racing circles. His popularity had reached such heights that commentators compared “Dessie-mania” to Beatlemania.
The public adored him for his distinctive grey coat, his bold jumping style, and his incredible versatility. But what really made Desert Orchid so special was his longevity and consistency.
He won 34 races from 70 starts, more than the combined total of several other jumping legends. He also finished second on 11 occasions and third in another eight races, including the 1990 and 1991 Gold Cups.
His career statistics are remarkable: four King George VI Chases, one Cheltenham Gold Cup, and one Irish Grand National. With a Timeform rating of 187, he earned £654,066 in prize money. Bearing in mind that this was more than 30 years ago, his achievements become all the more staggering.
How Would He Fare Today?
At his peak, he had an official rating of 187. To put that into context, Galopin Des Champs’ rating, as of January 17 2025, is 179. Gerri Colombe has a rating of 172, and Banbridge has a career-best rating of 168. They also happen to be the three highest-rated horses set to run in the 2025 Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
If it were only on paper, Desert Orchid would still likely win today. However, racing methods and preparation regimes have changed significantly since 1989, and whether or not this would work against his all-round campaign style is up for debate.
In the story of his life, which was filmed for iTV, Desert Orchid’s trainer David Elsworth perhaps summed up his charge’s appeal best:
“Desert Orchid was a horse in a lifetime… He went out there and jumped from fence to fence. It was a very exciting race and is something that will live in one’s memory forever”.
Not only is he the only grey horse to ever win the Gold Cup, but his 1989 Gold Cup victory was also voted as one of the “Greatest Races of All Time” in a Racing Post poll in 2022, a testament to both his ability and his extraordinary appeal to the racing public.
