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He looks the part - that's a Fact

Fact To File had no difficulty living up to market expectations with a 4/6 victory in the Ballymaloe Relish Rising Stars Beginners Chase.

Having his second start over fences having gone chasing straight from bumpers last season, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old had finished second to American Mike first time out at Navan and went one better under Mark Walsh with little fuss.

Stablemate Minella Cocooner set the tempo under Paul Townend but he looked a spent force when Fact To File eased to the front and although Zanahiyr gave chase on the long run-in (last fence was omitted), he was 17 lengths adrift as the winner breezed past the line.

Paddy Power and Betfair reacted by making Fact To File an 8/1 shot for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham while Sky Bet go 8s from 12s for the same race, 12/1 from 16s for the Turners and 12/1 from 20s for the National Hunt Chase over three and three-quarter miles.

“He has Cheltenham bumper form from last year. He looks like a chaser, he certainly looked like one there, so we decided to skip his novice hurdle year and just go straight chasing,” said Mullins.

“Today is the reason that I hoped we’d be right. He’s a horse I’ve loved since the first day he came into the stable. I think he could go the whole way, with a bit of luck – you need a lot of luck in this game.”

Grugy too good as he beats them Hollow

Mullins and Townend got off to the perfect start on Thursday as filly Jade De Grugy took the opening Savills Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.

Townend kept things simple on the four-year-old French import, taking up the running early on but he soon had main market rival Butcher Hollow for company on the outside and it stayed that way until they started the turn for home the final time.

The 3/1 chance Butcher Hollow still looked a major threat soon after jumping two out but Jade De Grugy pressed on approaching the final flight and she ultimately came clear to score by 15 lengths, with a further 11 back to Whale Harbour (10/1) back in third.

Sky Bet reacted by cutting Jade De Grugy to 12/1 from 33s for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, a race won by Tellmesomethinggirl in the same blue and white silks of Kenny Alexander in 2021. Betfair went 14/1 from 33/1 in the same market when they introduced the winner at 25/1 for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Townend said: “She’s exciting, she did it nicely. I thought we built up down the back the second time and she stayed going well.

“She obviously stays well, the ground is testing there, and she has a lovely attitude. She jumped well and did everything nicely. I was going easy so I felt like I was dictating it a bit. I jumped one well down the back and Sean (Flanagan) came with me and pushed me from the last down the back from there home.”

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Music Of Tara, trained by Henry De Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, won the Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle. The 7/2 favourite finished third in the same race 12 months ago and stayed on strongly to pick it up soon after the last hurdle and win by a couple of lengths from Heliko Conti (15/2) and Politicise (66/1).

“I thought we were in trouble turning in, but she stayed on really well. She just doesn’t really travel, but she’s a really gutsy mare and Rachael was brilliant on her,” said De Bromhead.

“I’m delighted for the Achesons and the Shanahans (owners), it’s great to get it. We said we’d have a go at this and it’s nice when it works out.

“We might look at a Pertemps qualifier. She has to go left-handed, that’s one thing we have worked out. She looked all out turning in, but going to the last I thought by Rachael’s actions that she knew she had a fair chance.”

Ted Walsh’s Gaoth Chuil (5/1) was given a cool ride by Shane O’Callaghan to win the Pertemps Qualifier.

“It’s great to win, Leopardstown is a special place and I’ve had a lot of luck here over the years with some very good horses,” said Walsh.

“She’s a good tough little mare, she’s owned and bred by Michael Ryan. He had the dam and Harzand is a good stallion. She’s only five and whether she runs at Cheltenham is a question mark, we have the option now if we want to go.”

Gordon Elliott won the feature Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle with Irish Point and doubled up in the closing bumper with Patter Merchant (1/2 favourite).

“He’s a nice horse, he’s a horse to go jumping and you probably won’t see much more of him this year. He’s a horse for next year,” said Elliott.

“Harry (Swan) said he should have let him slide on, as he’s just a galloper but we like him.”

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