15:30 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase result
1st Fact To File 9/2
2nd Gaelic Warrior 4/1
3rd Galopin Des Champs 15/8 favourite
Report
A good weekend for Mark Walsh got even better when Fact To File returned to his brilliant best in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.
A fascinating renewal saw Galopin Des Champs made favourite as he attempted to match Florida Pearl's record of four Gold Cups and see Paul Townend draw alongside Mark Dwyer (with four wins) as the most successful jockey. The writing was on the wall for the pair from some way out as Fact To File always looked to be going the better from the end of the back straight.
Spindleberry's Gold Cup dreams are over as the mare was pulled up before the fourth last where the race began to change complexion. Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury had enjoyed a relatively uncontested lead up until that point but weakened quickly as Galopin Des Champs went on, marginally from Fact To File and Monty's Star who raced between horses.
Townend was soon asking his champion for more whereas Walsh was sitting still in the famous green and gold hooped silks of owner JP McManus. There might have been some who doubted the stamina of Fact To File in the testing ground given his brilliant performance over the intermediate trip of the Ryanair Chase last March and he appeared to be outstayed when only third in last year's renewal but Walsh never looked worried as they drew clear of their stablemate and Monty's Star.
Gaelic Warrior, who looked a shade free on occasion having been settled in rear, came through to give chase but Fact To File never opened the door for his rival, keeping on relentlessly in the testing ground to win by five lengths.
There were another eight and a half lengths back to Galopin Des Champs who stuck admirably to his task to claim minor honours.
Fact To File only has one entry for the Cheltenham Festival, in the Ryanair Chase, although connections could opt to supplement him for the Gold Cup.
Having shown plenty of speed in the Ryanair Chase, connections opted to try Fact To File over two miles at the Punchestown Festival but he was beaten a long way behind Marine Nationale. His seasonal reappearance came in the John Durkan over an intermediate distance - ran Gaelic Warrior to a neck - which was expected to put him straight for a big run in the King George VI Chase.
However, for whatever reason, Fact To File never fired at Kempton and came home almost 10 lengths adrift of The Jukebox Man in sixth.
Walsh told Racing TV: “That was brilliant, we knew we could put a line through Kempton where he didn't jump and travel at all.
“He got me there too soon today, jumped brilliantly, and I was always happy. I planned to follow the lads and they went a good gallop which set it up for us. I thought I had it at the second last and when I gave him a squeeze there was plenty left.
“He’s a good horse in his own right – he's only in the Ryanair at the moment.”
That will put him right for Cheltenham
Mullins added: "Fact To File put in some performance. Mark was adamant that he wanted to be up there with him and let him at his fences and he performed fantastic for him.
"Was it [his run at Kempton] a blessing maybe? We were just discussing it. I wonder how firm the ground was at Kempton? The times were off the charts so the ground was obviously very fast, much faster than described. But at least he didn't leave today's race behind him at Kempton by the fact he didn't take part really.
"Galopin Des Champs just got a little bit tired. I just thought the exertions at Christmas might tell on him and it did but that will put him right now for Cheltenham; I think he'll come back a lot stronger after that race. He ran maybe two races if not three at Christmas and that has to tell on a horse and I think today's race shows me that he's still got plenty left in the tank.
"I thought Galopin was doing plenty up there. Gaelic Warrior was just doing too much throughout the race, whether that means he goes back to the Ryanair but he definitely stays three and a quarter if we want to go for the Gold Cup with him; I was very happy with the way he finished his race.
"We had Fact To File in the Gold Cup and they [owner and team] took him out. The Gold Cup is the Gold Cup but that's a conversation to be had later on. I'm sure JP and Frank [Berry] will have their own thoughts on it. We didn't discuss any of that."
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Latest Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase betting
Fact To File is 4/5 (NRNB) to retain his Ryanair Chase crown with both Sky Bet and Paddy Power with Gaelic Warrior at 7/4 and Majborough at 9/2.
The Gold Cup market is still settling down but at the time of writing Galopin Des Champs is 6/1 (NRNB) with Paddy Power and Sky Bet, alongside Gaelic Warrior, who then quote Inothewayurthinkin (last year's winner and pulled up here) out at 12/1.
Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man contest favouritism at 9/2 with Spillane's Tower at 7/1.
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