Thrilling John Durkan Chase sets up 'one hell of a season'
Fact To File came out on top in a Punchestown classic
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Mark Walsh with Fact To File after a thrilling John Durkan Memorial Chase win
Willie Mullins believes a thrilling John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown set the tone for what will be a ‘hell of a season’.
Mullins’ latest staying superstar Fact To File brought home the honours under Mark Walsh, holding off a brave challenge from Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower up the home straight in a nail-biting finish.
The seven-year-old is now favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and could go head-to-head again with stablemate Galopin Des Champs, who finished third, at Leopardstown over Christmas after a season opener which whetted the appetite for what is to come.
“I thought we were beaten when Spillane's Tower came up beside us on the run-in, so it shows that Fact To File has made that leap to senior company,” Mullins told the Racing Post.
An exciting finish to the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase as Fact To File comes out on top of rivals under a superb ride from Mark Walsh!👏@WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/TSFJCx0Xfk
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) November 24, 2024
“Mark said that he took a blow and when he got his second wind he stayed on well to win. I love that he found that extra bit to get home.
“It was a brilliant renewal of this race, probably one of the best ever. I think all of these horses are going to win big races this season.
"It's fantastic Punchestown has brought this race back to this time. All these horses should recover enough to get a run at Christmas or the new year. It’s going to be a hell of a season."
Much of the pre-race talk surrounded the renewal of the rivalry between Galopin Des Champs and regular nemesis Fastorslow, who had previously beaten the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner on three occasions.
Both were in contention between the final two fences, Galopin Des Champs having cleared the penultimate obstacle in the lead, but Fact To File dug in and held firm when 18/1 shot Spillane’s Tower, also in JP McManus colours, threatened to reel him in.
Spillane's Tower's trainer Jimmy Mangan said: “I'm absolutely over the moon with him.
“We have everything to look forward to now. Without a doubt that's the best race I've ever been involved in. You couldn't get any better.”
The other graded race on the card went the way of Touch Me Not, who landed the BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase with Sam Ewing on board to continue a successful weekend for Gordon Elliott.
The trainer added a double on Sunday to Saturday’s treble, with the five-year-old holding off stablemate and favourite Farren Glory in a Cullentra one-two.
"He was very keen as a young horse and didn't show me anything,” Elliott said.
“He was well down the pecking order, but he's come a long way in six months.”