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Michael Verney's Cheltenham Festival Day 4 round-up
The greats always rise when the pressure is at its highest and Paul Townend produced a ride for the ages when steering Galopin Des Champs (7/5 favourite) to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory today.
Townend held up the seven-year-old towards the back of the field before slowly picking off his rivals and putting the race to bed in the final 200 yards to land the Cork rider's third blue riband, and a third also for trainer Willie Mullins.
The Mullins/Townend axis also took the opening Triumph Hurdle in great style via Lossiemouth (11/8 favourite) while there was a famous success for the Colm Murphy-trained Impervious in the Mares' Chase as jockey Brian Hayes secured his first Festival win.
