A star is born! Willie Mullins has a new superstar as Fact Or File’s spellbinding display at Punchestown puts him in the box seat for the Gold Cup

Willie Mullins has a new superstar on his hands after Fact Or File’s breathtaking display of jumping and galloping carried him to Gold Cup favouritism. 

Fact Or File carries the green-and-gold silks of JP McManus and has always been held in the highest regard by Mullins; the gelding was one of the champion trainer’s nine winners at Cheltenham last season, sauntering away with the Browns Advisory Chase, but struggled to get public recognition.

Following a spellbinding afternoon at Punchestown, he will struggle no more. Fact Or File returned to action in the John Durkan Chase – one of the most important contests of the winter – and came out of it with his reputation soaring. Those closest to him have long thought he was a machine and now we all know why.

An elite field of eight – including dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs – lined up for the £140,000 feature; they had a combined 22 Grade Ones between them but, at the end, Fact Or File came out on top following a ferocious final furlong battle with Spillane’s Tower, who is also owned by McManus.

Mullins is no stranger to winning this contest, which was first run in 1998, but he was visibly in awe of what he had seen from Fact Or File, who answered every call from his rider Mark Walsh and now trades as the 11/4 favourite to take Galopin Des Champs crown next March.

Fact Or File beat Spillane’s Tower to win the John Durkan Memorial Chase on Sunday

Willie Mullins has a new superstar on his hands after Fact Or File’s breathtaking display

‘I thought we were beaten when Spillane’s Tower came up beside us on the run in,’ Mullins gasped. ‘It just shows that he has made the leap from novice to senior company and he was able to pull out more when he was challenged.

‘It looked like he was beaten but he fought back and I love that in a horse. They find that extra bit to get themselves home. It was a brilliant horse race, probably one of the best ever. There were a lot of points to take from the race.

‘When you look back at it at the end of the season, they will have won some races between them. But Fact Or File – he’s big, athletic and he’s got a lovely temperament. He’s just got true grit.’

The point Mullins made about the remainder of the field, though, was equally pertinent. Jimmy Mangan, trainer of Spillane’s Tower, confessed that his dream of winning at Cheltenham was “still alive” and is adamant his horse will improve.

So, too, was Paul Townend, jockey of Galopin Des Champs, who said without hesitation it was the best renewal of the John Durkan Chase he had ridden. When you take that into consideration, it puts a different light on Fact Or File’s performance.

‘What we want is the spectacle of watching those horses race again,’ said Mullins. ‘They are top class, Grade One horses. It was a great day.’