Willie Mullins has blamed what he feels is quick ground at the Cheltenham Festival for Fact To File's omission from the Ryanair Chase.
The JP McManus-owned horse was around an even-money chance to follow up last year's success in the Ryanair after drifting from odds-on throughout the day as rumours circled about his possible withdrawal.
After watching the first three races Fact To File was withdrawn as they were going out for the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, at which point Mullins was interviewed on Racing TV.
He said: "We walked the track this morning, JP walked the track this morning, I happened to walk across the track from exercising horses and looking at Bambino Fever and the ground I thought, wow, this ground is going to be too good for her.
"Sure enough in the first race she wasn't able to act on it. I said to JP these horses are too difficult to get and acquire as you'll see at the sales after racing. And when you have them you mind them.
"We were waiting all day for rain we were sort of half promised. It hasn't come so we made a decision not to run. These horses are too hard to find, too hard to get.
"It's jump racing. We find we would like to have soft in the ground, in the description of the ground. Good ground is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race.
"If the ground is going to be like this we're not going to bring them.
"We were promised watering and I'm not sure the watering we were promised has been done. I'm annoyed about that. I thought there was going to be more watering done and it hasn't been done.
"I know the weather forecast hasn't been kind, but very few people complain about a bit of watering and too much rain. This isn't good for the type of horses we want to bring over here. I know it suits some horses but the majority of the good big National Hunt horses, we would like it a little bit softer anyhow."
