Ruby Walsh is as excited by anyone to see Fact To File run in next week's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins' charge is set to be one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week after two sparkling wins over fences and the trainer's brother Tony told Paddy Power's Ultimate Cheltenham Preview Night: "He is the new champion. I think he'd actually beat Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup!"
Walsh didn't go that far when replying, but said: "Everything about Fact To File suggests that he should be, could be and probably will be better at this trip than he has been over the distances that he has been running over. I rode him at home and to even think that he is as fast as he is is surprising. He does ride like an absolute stayer.
"I think Broadway Boy is the key to the race though – if he runs the way he’s ridden, it will be a massive help to Stay Away Fay. I think without Broadway Boy it makes it a hard race for Stay Away Fay to win because there’s no other real front-runner that can bring them far enough.
"It’s grand that something will go along to get you halfway, but Stay Away Fay needs something of Broadway Boy’s ability to bring them to the third-last fence before he has to take it off them.
"I think if Broadway Boy runs he adds to it for Stay Away Fay, but just from watching Fact To File and having sat on him only once, he has to the potential to be everything Tony said he is. I don’t think he’s quite there yet but he has the potential."
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