‘Fascinating’ rematch looks to be on the cards for Mullins big guns

Patrick Mullins will be as intrigued as everyone else to see round two of Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior if, as looks likely, the pair clash again in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

It had seemed Fact To File was going to stay in Ireland for the Savills Chase over Christmas, but a mountain of money for the Kempton showpiece started to suggest plans may have changed.

With his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Gaelic Warrior already at the head of the betting, the Closutton yard holds a strong hand and after their humdinger of a clash in the John Durkan earlier this season, seeing the pair up against Arkle winner Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man is a prospect for National Hunt fans to savour.

“Frank Berry (racing manager to Fact To File’s owner, JP McManus) has said they are keen to go with Fact To File I see. It didn’t work the last day over three miles at Leopardstown (last year) so maybe that makes sense,” said Mullins, who is assistant to his father.

“I thought the John Durkan was a great race, the way it was set up was so unusual, to get the two best horses over that distance in Ireland to clash like that.

“The worry was would it leave a mark. I ride Gaelic Warrior at home and he’s tanking around like he always was and they are very happy with Fact To File, too.

“The thing about it is neither of them came off the bridle until after the second-last and the sticks weren’t drawn until after the last, so they only had to really race for two furlongs.”

Assessing the depth of the division in the stable, Mullins went on: “We have Galopin (Des Champs) as well. Gaelic Warrior has never shown his best form at Leopardstown, but I wouldn’t be particularly afraid to try him there over three miles. I rode him over two miles there last Christmas behind Solness and Marine Nationale, but he’s not a two-miler on that dry ground.

“They are two very good horses, it’s a hard one to call, they are maybe not what you’d write as a three-mile chaser, as they both like to get on with it. It will be fascinating to watch the two of them around Kempton.”

The King George sponsors make Gaelic Warrior their 2-1 favourite, with Fact To File at 7-2, and spokesperson Nicola McGeady said: “Gaelic Warrior has been the long-time leader of the King George market, but with such sustained support for Fact To File in the last 24 hours, the race appears even more competitive than ever before.”