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Fact To File lives up to star billing in Brown Advisory
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Wed 13 Mar 2024
Fact To File lived up to his very tall reputation with a smooth success in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase under Mark Walsh for owner JP McManus, in the process bringing up a 99th winner at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Willie Mullins.
Positioned towards the rear of the six-runner field throughout much of the contest, Fact To File jumped and travelled with ease and professionalism behind the likes of Stay Away Fay and Sandor Clegane and jumped to the head of affairs at the second-last before hitting the line with plenty in hand and just under four lengths clear from runner-up Monty's Star with Giovinco back in third.
The winning rider told ITV Racing: "It's easy when you're riding a horse like this around here. He jumped and travelled so well.
"He took me down the hill, I didn't want to get there too soon with it being his first try over the trip but he winged the last two and galloped on up the hill.
"This lad's a class horse now, he has some class. Hopefully we have a good one on our hands."
Gold Cup standard, says Mullins
The winning trainer said to Racing TV's Lydia Hislop: "He's a horse I've loved from the first day he came into the yard and that was a Gold Cup performance, potentially.
"If you wanted to paint a steeplechaser, he is what you would paint.
"He's like a child's pony in the stable, you go in every evening and he wants a carrot, he's just like that and that is the temperament for it.
"I was a little bit surprised at how keen he was but maybe they didn't go fast enough and Mark was riding him very conservatively, you could see the way he was jumping out of Mark's hands at every fence and he wanted to get on with the job."
All roads to 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Betfair now make Fact To File a 7-2 chance from 7-1 for next season's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and Mullins confirmed that he would be working back from the Festival highlight next term.
"You know the plan - we'll probably start off in the John Durkan and nowdays we go to Christmas then the Dublin Racing Festivaland then we come here, but everything has to stay right.
"That's the plan, but JP might have other ideas, he might want to come to England or something like that."
McManus told ITV Racing: "I was nervous.
"I thought he got a little warm and on his toes a bit beforehand, and I think Mark did a great job to get him settled. I think he will have learnt a lot from the race. I’m just so relieved.
“His potential is all in front of him. Willie decided to go straight chasing with him and I had no objection, it sounded good to me, and he has been vindicated.”
"Potentially Mulins' best long-term prospect"
In her big-race reaction, Racing TV pundit Jane Mangan said: "Fact To File is potentially Willie Mullins' best long-term prospect.
"He switched off lovely, there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing for the lead but he was very uncomplicated in behind.
"He's got the physique to be everything you'd expect him to be, but he's gone straight from bumpers to chases and the way he's jumped given his inexperience - just hs fourth run over fences - was exemplary.
"He's quick through the air and has scope to burn. I can see why they hold him in the highest esteem and I can see why they're getting excited."
"Minella Indo route" for runner-up Monty's Star
Henry de Bromhead, trainer of runner-up, said: “I’m delighted. That was really good. Obviously you’d like to win, but the winner looked very good and has done all year.
“I think we lost little in defeat and I think he’s improving all the time. He’s a really exciting horse for us, and we’ll start at the Gold Cup and work backwards from there - the Mindello Indo route. He’s seven, but he’s a big raw horse and I think he’ll go on improving.”
Connections delighted with Giovinco
Stephen Mulqueen was on board the 40-1 third and told Racing TV: "It was a massive run, wasn't it?
"Look, we were in a very fortunate place today. [Assistant trainer] Scu [Peter Scudamore] had said to me just to drop him out, get him to switch off, because he’s been a little bit keen. So go on out there, six runners, just drop him in and enjoy yourself - you don’t hear that very often. He travelled brilliant, jumped amazing. Going to two out I got a little bit excited! He’s run an absolute screamer.
“We put a red hood on him today because he’s that type of individual - he can get a little bit lit up. He had excuses for one or two below-par runs; I’m not saying I came here fancying him, but I thought he’d run a big race. I love him!”
Trainer Lucinda Russell added: "He’s just a phenomenal horse - I’m so pleased with him. His jumping was great, Jenny’s kept him really calm - he’s a bit edgy, we’ve always said that. He’s by Walk In The Park and he’s always been an edgy horse, but just then he was so relaxed in the race. And yes, we’ll try and bring him back here next year.”
Cobden has no answers for Stay Away Fay
Harry Cobden, rider of Stay Away Fay (pulled-up) said: “I don’t know… I wanted to go an even enough gallop, everything felt very laboured from probably a circuit. The boss will get him back, we might have a look at Punchestown.”
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