That day, he looked the latest in a long line of talent off the Closutton conveyor belt and it was no surprise to see him made ante-post favourite for the Festival contest.
Already a winner at National Hunt racing's premier event, he won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year's Festival, he also took the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in April.
Second favourite at around 4-1 is the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame, who took his unbeaten record over fences to three in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton.
Like a lot of Festival hopefuls, Galopin Des Champs has at least one other option. His is in the Turners Novices' Chase over two and a half miles.
Bob Olinger is a shade of odds-on with some bookmakers for that race after his emphatic success in the Kildare Novice Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.
Henry de Bromhead's charge, winner of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle in 2021, is among 44 entries with 23 from Ireland.
Venetia Williams has a leading contender in L'Homme Presse, who maintained his 100 per cent record over the bigger obstacles in the Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. He too holds an entry in the Brown Advisory.
Though L'Homme Presse has yet to race beyond two miles and five furlongs, Andy Edwards, who owns the gelding in partnership with Peter and Patricia Pink under the DFA Racing banner, believes the gelding could contest either race, with the ground key to a decision.
He said: "What race we run in will be ground dependent. If it came up soft he would go for the shorter race and if it came up quick he would go for the longer option.
"You have got to have options as you don't want to go down a one-way street as you can't turn back. He has got the pace to run in the Turners, but he has got the stamina to run in the Brown Advisory.
"I was at Venetia's yard yesterday and I spoke to Charlie Deutsch (jockey) and he was very open minded. There is a long way to go and you know how many bad luck stories there are of horses not getting to Cheltenham."
