Connections of Fact To File are keen to “let the dust settle” before planning the next stop for the Savills Chase runner-up.
The Cheltenham Festival winner had returned in style this season when winning the John Durkan at Punchestown, where he had his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Galopin Des Champs back in third place.
But the tables were comprehensively turned at Leopardstown on Saturday, with Galopin Des Champs coming out on top by seven and a half lengths.
The seven-year-old is owned by JP McManus, whose racing manager Frank Berry said: “He ran very well, but he had no real excuses. He might have been a little free and pulled a little bit hard early on, but you can’t take anything away from the winner, he was very good and beat him very well.
“All credit to Galopin Des Champs, it was a super performance, but our fella still ran a good race and when he learns to settle, he will be miles better. However, I do think he has a mountain to climb to get past the winner, I would say.
“We will let the dust settle and see how he comes out of the race (before drawing up future plans). He can go back to Leopardstown for the Irish Gold Cup, but we’ll wait and see what happens.”
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