Gaelic Warrior beats Fact To File in epic battle for John Durkan Chase at Punchestown

The two Willie Mullins heavyweights had the two-mile, five-furlong contest between them from a long way out and treated onlookers to a thrilling fight after the final fence, Paul Townend ultimately grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat on the inside of the track after last year's winner Fact To File appeared to jump into a narrow lead at the last.

There was just a neck between them at the line, Gaelic Warrior making a successful start to his campaign as the 13/8 second-favourite, following late support for the runner-up who was sent off the 11/8 favourite under Mark Walsh.

Townend took the Grade 1 race by the horns from the outset on last year's Aintree Bowl winner Gaelic Warrior, who had added to his tally with a Grade 2 win at Sandown on the final day of the British season in April, and by halfway he led the star-studded John Durkan field by around a dozen lengths.

The runners remained well strung out as Fact To File started his bid to close the gap on the runaway leader, with another six or eight lengths back to Heart Wood and Fastorslow as Gaelic Warrior jumped five out.

Fact To File gradually went through the gears to put pressure on Townend coming to the second-last and, as the cheers went up from the crowd in the stands, it looked like Walsh might have his measure on JP McManus's outstanding Ryanair Chase hero.

The pair were locked together coming to the last but it was Gaelic Warrior who dug deepest on the run-in to edge another John Durkan thriller 12 months on from Fact To File's memorable defeat of Spillane's Tower and Galopin Des Champs. Fastorslow (10/1) finished 29 lengths adrift in third.

'Not the plan' to dominate

Townend said on Racing TV: “It was exciting for me and I didn’t see much of it either! Look, he was fresh and he wanted to get on with it and I let him run to the first, and he ran for a lot longer than that, but in fairness to him he jumped very well and clean, and gave himself a chance to repel Mark (Walsh) when he came to him.

“It was a proper horse race.”

Regarding the prominent tactics, he said: “I just wasn’t sure what was going to take me, and would I get in control of the race rather than let someone else dictate it to me. I’m not going to lie and say it was the plan to go out and do that, he just got lit up – and after a couple of fences I thought I was after doing the wrong thing – but you can’t say I didn’t have a willing partner, that’s for sure.

“I’ve been around enough places on him now and I can trust him, but it was a concern was the petrol tank emptier than I thought even.

“Honestly, for a stride I did. But I didn’t know how much ground Mark had to make up and did he have to do it on his own, or how he had jumped. I knew I wasn’t out with the washing, knew I wasn’t going to stop, but it was looking unlikely for a second, yes.

“He’s a tough horse and he’s a very, very talented horse.

“Would you prefer to have an easier race? Obviously, but it’s a Grade 1 and an important race. If he does nothing for the rest of the season then he’s a Grade 1 winner now. We always thought it was a stepping-stone but it’s a good race and a big pot in its own right.”

When asked if he’ll be the horse to beat in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, Townend added: “You’d like to ride him around there anyway.”

'Two fantastic horses'

Mullins said: "It was amazing. I asked both jockeys going out what they wanted to do and both said they wanted to be forward, and we didn't know whether something else wanted to make the running. But Paul said the minute the tape went up that Gaelic Warrior took it in his hands and he was just so exuberant over the first few fences.

"Then making that mistake at the fifth-last, I think, or sixth-last, you could see that his stride was shortening. Paul just sat, sat and tried to fill him up with air, and it paid off.

"Mark was there just stalking him and I thought it was all over. I couldn't really (believe Gaelic Warrior was able to get back up), it was an extraordinary race for two fantastic horses.

"It's lovely having a Champion Hurdle horse but having horses that can put in exhibitions of jumping and galloping and racing like that over fences is what jumps racing is all about I think.

"I love this race, I've always loved it and it's poignant too as I know all the Durkans. It's a very important race in the whole National Hunt calendar.

"I'd imagine I'll look to send one to Leopardstown (Savills Chase) and one to Kempton (King George), but we'll see how they recover out of that. They've had a tough enough race and I didn't expect that tough a race for them. But they were both fit and well coming here."

How the markets reacted

Sky Bet cut Gaelic Warrior to 6/4 favourite (from 5/2) for the King George and the firm's Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "The King George has seen a number of changes in the past 24 hours but the John Durkan looked another high-class renewal and what a fantastic race between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File.

"We think this is the best form going into the Kempton highlight and consequently make the winner our new 6/4 market leader, with Saturday's Ascot winner Jango Baie a 7/2 chance for Nicky Henderson."

Gaelic Warrior was also cut to 8/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, a market still headed by last year's winner Inothewayurthinkin (7/2), who was a well-held third in Sunday's John Durkan.

Fact To File is no bigger than 2/1 for a repeat win in the Ryanair Chase.

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