Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File in mouthwatering third clash

Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File do battle for the third time this season in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

The Willie Mullins-trained duo first locked horns in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at the County Kildare circuit in late November and fought out what turned out to be one of the races of the season, with Fact To File eroding Gaelic Warrior’s huge lead only for the latter to battle back and win a pulsating clash by a neck.

Fact To File reversed that form in style when lifting the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, since when Gaelic Warrior has run out a brilliant winner of the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, where Fact To File was due to defend his Ryanair Chase title only to be pulled out on the morning of the race due to drying ground.

Mullins is happy to allow his two big guns to meet once more in what promises to be an enthralling end-of-season clash.

“I just think Gaelic Warrior has such ability, on a given day he could do two miles, two and a half or three, depending on opposition,” said the champion trainer.

“He’s got such ability he can do that, but he was brilliant in the Gold Cup.

“Both Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File are in good shape and it should be a fascinating race again, over a longer trip compared to the John Durkan.

“Fact To File didn’t run in Cheltenham so that’s going to be a huge advantage to him I’d say.”

Mullins also saddles Grangeclare West, who unseated his son Patrick at the first fence in the Grand National two and a half weeks ago, as well as Champ Kiely, who finished eighth in the Aintree spectacular.

The field is completed by Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin, who has been largely disappointing since his brilliant Cheltenham Gold Cup victory last year but did run his best race since when third in defence of his title at Prestbury Park last month.

Cromwell said: “He came out of Cheltenham pretty good and he seems in good shape, so we’re hopeful of a good run.

“I suppose we’re going right-handed now and given he seemed to jump a little bit out to his right in Cheltenham that might help us a little.”