Fact To File Triumphs at the Ladbrokes Novice Chase

Fact To File's Leap from Dark Horse to Cheltenham Fancy

Fact To File just breezed through to win the Ladbrokes Novice Chase after the only other horse in the running, Gaelic Warrior, and its rider Paul Townend took a tumble at the last hurdle when they were already lagging behind.

Owned by JP McManus, the seven-year-old horse made the most of Gaelic Warrior not being at its best, jumping up to be the new 2-1 favorite (up from 4) for the Turners' Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, according to Paddy Power. Meanwhile, Gaelic Warrior's odds dropped to 5-1.

The race turned into a head-to-head between Willie Mullins' trained horses after American Mike, Found A Fifty, and Grangeclare West were pulled out. Fact To File grabbed the lead before the third to last and had already secured a significant lead before his competitor couldn't finish the race.

This win adds up to Mullins' incredible streak, having trained all five Grade 1 race winners at the Dublin Racing Festival this year.

Mullins shared with Racing TV, "Glad to hear Paul's okay and no bad news about Gaelic Warrior. Fact To File is shaping up as great as we hoped. I've had a soft spot for him since day one in our stable. He's always had a bright future, and things are really clicking for him now."

Fact To File is also considering running in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival, but they haven't settled on which race to aim for yet. Mullins mentioned, "I need to chat with JP and Frank [Berry, racing manager] about it. Honestly, I'm open to anything; we'll figure it out. This weekend was a big decider on where our horses stand for the upcoming races."

Coming off a solid win in a beginners chase over the same course and distance, Fact To File had previously come in second to A Dream To Share in the Champion Bumper at last year's Cheltenham Festival.

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