Cheltenham Festival update: Spotlight on Fact To File

Did you hear the one about the JP McManus eyecatcher in Ireland?

Having written a few reasonably encouraging words regarding Corbetts Cross in this spot seven days ago, I’m acutely aware what some readers may already be mumbling but, in my defence, how could Fact To File not be the subject of this week's exposition?

Here was a Willie Mullins-trained horse being pitched into a beginners chase at Navan for his seasonal debut, having last been sighted finishing runner-up to A Dream To Share in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

The switch straight to fences from bumpers is not unheard of at Closutton – in fact it’s a tactic that has been attempted on several occasions since the most memorable example, the great Florida Pearl pulling it off so successfully back in the early-noughties.

It was obviously noteworthy to see Mullins treading the same path with the gorgeous-looking Fact To File, about whom the trainer (and son, Patrick, throughout last season in fairness) had been very sweet on since the day he first stepped out onto a racecourse proper.

Being a three-mile point winner in 2022 and already six, rising seven, the decision to go chasing now was largely put down to his age and expectations were clearly high as he was sent off the odds-on favourite to beat a mercurial rival in American Mike, once the apple of Gordon Elliott’s eye but seemingly on a retrieval mission having gone missing during his novice hurdle campaign after winning a maiden at Down Royal 12 months ago.

In the end, the pair of them put on a decent show, pulling 21 lengths clear of the 128-rated hurdler Lets Go Champ, who could only box on at the one pace having been completely outclassed by the big two.

American Mike, having his 11th start under Rules, ultimately got the better of the argument from the relatively lightly-raced Fact To File, the winner jumping adequately out in front for Jack Kennedy, who must be oozing positive vibes at the moment the way things have been going.

Mark Walsh was keen not to let Kennedy loose on the front end and gave his mount a good sight of the first three fences, clearing the first ditch (second fence) in good style and settling into a rhythm from that point, a couple of lengths off the pace-making American Mike.

The runner-up arguably made a better shape over his fences than the winner, on the first circuit at least, and briefly joined him with a particularly efficient leap at one of the final jumps in the back straight.

American Mike had a clear lead again with four to take, Kennedy injecting some pace into it approaching the next. Fact To File was shaken up coming to two-out where they were both a bit scruffy but American Mike met the last on a better stride, landing running and keeping on well – especially for a horse who had looked so soft under pressure at points throughout last season.

What are the future options?

Fact To File's late sire Poliglote has produced a wide range of quality jumpers, from Champion Chasers like Politologue to the more stamina-laden Sire Du Berlais, Don Poli and Class Conti.

His half-brother Muthtemps was best around two or two and a half miles, while the dam is a half to Khelkalou who won over hurdles and fences in France over distances between two and a quarter and two and three-quarter miles.

He may have won a point and started out in bumpers over two and a half miles but Fact To File is not a slow horse by any means and I suspect he’ll have just about every option open to him trip-wise in the medium to longer term, potentially even including the National Hunt Chase if Mullins junior fancies he might stay that far.

Next spot, however, is a beginners chase success which should be something of a formality on all known form and this encouraging start. And it wouldn’t be a shock to see connections stick to the intermediate trip for the time being.

What do the markets say?

Fact To File:

• 20/1 from 12/1 for Turners Novices’ Chase
• 25/1 from 12/1 for Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
• Unchanged at 20/1 for National Hunt Chase

American Mike:

• Introduced at 14/1 for Turners Novices’ Chase
• 25/1 from 66/1 for Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

What’s the current conclusion?

‘Is this the next Florida Pearl?’ was probably at the back of a few people’s minds heading into Sunday’s sport and while it’s safe to suggest that ‘no’ will prove to be the answer in regards to Mullins’ latest bumper-to-fences project Fact To File, I’m inclined to still take a very positive view about the horse in general.

Granted, he was widely expected to win this and couldn’t get the job done against a horse with a question mark hanging over his head in American Mike, but he just looked to need the outing a little more than that horse, who after all represents a trainer who has very much hit the ground running this season.

I’d have the Mullins-trained runner-up improving considerably more than Gordon Elliott’s winner with this race under their belts, and there’s every chance they could meet again in the not-too-distant future.

Unlike American Mike, Fact To File has yet to run a low-key race in his life and the manner in which he took to fences at the first time of asking augurs well for the rest of the campaign.

He’s got pace this horse, and when it comes to Cheltenham I’d have the Turners, over a trip fractionally short of 2m4f, as his primary target, though there are clearly too many viable options to consider an antepost bet at this point.

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Honourable mention...

Croke Park - 25/1 for Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

Elsewhere at Navan, it wasn’t a stroll for odds-on favourite Croke Park in the John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monsfield Novice Hurdle, but I don’t think that’s such a bad thing as the experience looks bound to do the giant five-year-old some good.

Second to subsequent Galway winner You Oughta Know in a Kilbeggan bumper back in May, a race considered too much of a speed test for Croke Park according to his trainer Gordon Elliott, he had made light of his rivals in a weak-looking maiden hurdle at Clonmel on his seasonal debut, but had to dig a fair bit deeper on Sunday.

There was a brief moment approaching the second-last flight, when Sam Ewing looked for a turn of foot from the front-running - and far more experienced - Mel Monroe that Croke Park looked in a spot of trouble. But he kept on strongly for Jack Kennedy and got to the leader in plenty of time, before only doing enough and still looking green and gawky in the closing stages.

The only bookmaker reaction saw Croke Park nipped in to 20/1 (from 33s) for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham and that race looks the obvious long-term option when it comes to this year’s Festival as he simply won’t have the gears for anything over shorter. Unless the Martin Pipe comes into consideration after another run of two...

In truth, he’s already built for fences and probably only biding his time this season anyway.

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