15:00 Punchestown

Sunday 23 November 2025

All11:4312:1312:4313:1713:5214:2715:0015:35

John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Grade 1)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 5m 6.5s

Fact To File²⁰⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 173| BF| CD

11/8

Made winning reappearance in this last year. Beaten by stronger stayers when placed in 3m Grade 1 events on next 2 starts and back on the up returned to around 2½m when 9-length winner of Ryanair at Cheltenham. Probably best forgiven a lesser run at the Festival here on final start. Leading claims.

Form: 1/12314-

Fastorslow^t³⁶⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: J J Slevin| T: M Brassil| OR: 168| BF| CD

10/1

Dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner who also landed this race 2 years ago. Bit below his best when 6½ lengths fourth to Fact To File in last year's renewal. Missed the remainder of the campaign due to soft-tissue injury.

Form: 112U1/4-

Gaelic Warrior^h,t²¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 170| C

13/8

Top-class chaser who ended last season on a high, winning Grade 1 Bowl at Aintree (25f) and Grade 2 Oaksey at Sandown (23f). Bold show likely on reappearance.

Form: 12/2311-

Grangeclare West²¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 166| CD

40/1

High-class chaser at his best, finishing second in Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and fine third of 34 in Grand National at Aintree last season. Ended the campaign with another really good handicap performance when fifth of 19 in bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Pulled up in this last year.

Form: P62535-

Heart Wood³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 160| C

10/1

Didn't need to be at his best to win course Grade 3 on reappearance. Fact To File was 9 lengths too strong for him in the Ryanair at Cheltenham in March and he's likely to be vulnerable for win purposes again despite having a potential fitness edge over some of these.

Form: 1242P-1

I Am Maximus²³²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: W P Mullins| OR: 170| D

20/1

Posted a top-class handicap performance when finding only reopposing stablemate Nick Rockett too strong when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Grand National at Aintree in April. Will presumably have his campaign geared around that race again and he's likely best watched here.

Form: 311/P82-

Inothewayurthinkin^t²⁵⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 176

18/1

Produced a top-class performance when proving 6 lengths too strong for Galopin des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup (3¼m, good to soft) in March. Likely to have a big say in the top staying chases again this term but reappears over a trip short of best (only seventh in this last year).

Form: 11/7541-

James Du Berlais^h1,t²⁰⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Gilligan| T: W P Mullins| OR: 159| CD

50/1

Produced a career best to land a 2½m handicap at the Festival here in April but will need a fair bit more again if he's to get seriously competitive in this exalted company on his return to the track.

Form: F/30551-

Lecky Watson²⁰⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 159| C| D

14/1

Made it 3-3 over fences when seeing off 6 rivals in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory at Cheltenham (24.5f, good to soft) in March. Fell in another Grade 1 novice here on final start. Improvement will be needed to mix it in open Grade 1s.

Form: 55/111F-

Senecia^b¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: V Halley| OR: 149| D

150/1

Smart chaser but out of his depth here.

Form: P1P-502

Non-Runners

Nick Rockett²³²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 8

T: W P Mullins J: Mr P W Mullins

Forecasts

Fact To File (11/8), Gaelic Warrior (13/8), Fastorslow (10/1), Heart Wood (10/1), Lecky Watson (14/1), Inothewayurthinkin (18/1), I Am Maximus (20/1), Nick Rockett (20/1), Grangeclare West (40/1), James Du Berlais (50/1), Senecia (150/1)

Last year's winner FACT TO FILE added another Grade 1 around 2½m in the Ryanair at Cheltenham in March and can confirm he's still the dominant force over this trip and provide Willie Mullins with a tenth success in this since 2013. Stablemate Gaelic Warrior can follow him home ahead of 2023 winner Fastorslow.