Fact comes home alone in Grade 1 novice

The Willie Mullins match race for the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown turned into a solo for Fact To File as he came home alone in the Grade 1 contest.

4/7 favourite Gaelic Warrior jumped out to lead in the two-mile-five contest but was headed after getting in close to the fourth last fence.

Fact To File skipped clear over the next and there was no response from Gaelic Warrior when Paul Townend gave him a squeeze after the penultimate fence.

Mark Walsh cruised clear down to the last on the 6/4 shot and the JP McManus-owned gelding popped the final fence to secure the victory.

Townend had admitted defeat on his mount early in the straight but Gaelic Warrior was a tired horse coming to the last and ploughed through it, unseating the champion jockey.

🟢🟡 Fact To File finishes alone as Gaelic Warrior falls when well-beaten in the G1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase @LeopardstownRC

Lovely prospect for JP McManus pic.twitter.com/teQehJqBKe

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 4, 2024

Mullins said afterwards:- “He’s always shown me he’s good. From the first day he came into the yard he was one that I marked down as ‘he could be anything’. He’s doing everything right.

“The race fell apart and I don’t know what happened Gallic Warrior. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Paul yet.

“He’s so laidback in the stable and so laidback in a race. He does everything Mark asks him to do and you could run him over two and a half miles or a Gold Cup trip.

“I’ll have a word with JP and Frank and see what they want to do.”

Walsh told RTE afterwards:- “I always knew Paul was going to pop out and make it and go wide because he does jump right.

“My lad was jumping right today as well, he was following Paul the whole way, which didn't help but I got a great spin off him and he jumped brilliant.

“Once we jumped the two fences away from the stands he actually got in my hands a bit and wanted to start racing early but I got him back off Paul and he was brilliant.

“Going to the fourth last I moved up to Paul with a good jump, kept him on the inside and he went by him easy.

“The plan was to put the pressure on three out but I did it a fence early, it still worked.

“He put it to bed fairly quick, he's a fair horse.”

Betfair made the winner 11/4 favourite (from 10/1) for the Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)