Gaelic Warrior set for Champion Chase campaign - as Willie Mullins plans discussions over Fact To File King George bid

Willie Mullins revealed on Wednesday that Gaelic Warrior would be campaigned as a Champion Chase horse this season following his removal from the King George – a race for which Mullins will discuss supplementing Fact To File with the Gold Cup favourite’s owner JP McManus.

Gaelic Warrior was the ante-post favourite for the King George before being scratched from the race on Tuesday, with the champion trainer not keen to run him over three miles on his first start of the season.

Last season's hugely impressive Arkle winner will instead be kept to two miles for the foreseeable future and. following his planned reappearance at Leopardstown over Christmas, he could race at Ascot in January before a tilt at March's Champion Chase, for which he is disputing favouritism with Jonbon at a general 4-1.

Mullins said: "Gaelic Warrior will run over two miles at Christmas and then at the Dublin Racing Festival I'd imagine, or we could look at the Clarence House as going right-handed around Ascot would suit him. 

"But more than likely he'll go to Leopardstown twice and then the Champion Chase. We took him out of the King George as I wasn't going to run him over three miles on his first run of the season. If he'd run in the John Durkan, we would have looked at the King George."

Mullins is mob-handed in the open two-mile chase division and is responsible for three of the first four in the market for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March. 

Energumene missed the chance to land his third successive win in the race last season due to a setback but he is poised to reappear at Cork in next month's Hilly Way, in which he made a successful return before both of his festival wins.

El Fabiolo won't be seen until after Christmas and a bid for the Ryanair Chase could be on the cards.

Mullins said: "Energumene goes for the Hilly Way and could go to the Clarence House or the Dublin Racing Festival. We've had no setbacks with him and he's all set to go to Cork.

"El Fabiolo missed a bit of time and might not be out until the Dublin Racing Festival. He's back in and doing everything right but won't be ready for Christmas. He could be a Champion Chase or a Ryanair horse. He disappointed with his jumping at Sandown and might be better off going slower over two and a half miles."

Fact To File jumps the last with Galopin Des Champs (left) on his way to victory in the John Durkan Memorial ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Fact To File made a sparkling start to life in open company when landing a riveting John Durkan at Punchestown on Sunday and Mullins will discuss a possible supplementary entry for the King George with connections, while he was also enthused by the performance of dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs in third.

He said: "Fact To File wasn't in the King George but it has to be discussed with connections whether he'd be supplemented, so everything is open. He ran a fantastic race in the John Durkan and learned an awful lot, which will bring him on hugely. 

"He was being marked the whole time by Fastorslow and he got a bump turning for home. That can rattle a horse, but he jumped the last two and raced on again when the runner-up came to him. Mark [Walsh] had him locked in and he jumped well. When he met them wrong, he just put in a quick one and he's a natural at that. If he gets daylight, he lets fly. He's a nice horse to have anything to do with.

"Galopin Des Champs ran a cracker. He did all the donkey work and made the pace. He cruised around and had one go from the second-last home and was still there going to the last. It was a hell of a run and I took an awful lot out of it. 

"He missed a few weeks, which was crucial, but I wanted to get him out before Christmas. We'll stick to the same plan as last season all being well."

State Man suffered his first domestic defeat on Saturday when Brighterdaysahead denied him in the Morgiana Hurdle but the champion trainer is confident he will come on plenty for the run. Mullins is set to chart the same route as last season, with the Matheson Hurdle next on the agenda.

Brighterdaysahead (left) just gets the better of State Man in the Morgiana HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Lossiemouth and Mystical Power will reappear this weekend in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse and the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle respectively.

Mullins said: "I was very happy with where State Man was after the second-last in the Morgiana and he got to the front, but I think that'll blow the cobwebs away and leave him right for Leopardstown at Christmas. He looked very big three weeks ago and I was wondering if I would have him ready for the race.

"Lossiemouth starts off this weekend and then could go to the International Hurdle at Cheltenham. We'll probably keep her and State Man apart before the Champion Hurdle. Everyone wants competition but it would be like opening your presents before Christmas and you need to have a final. Mystical Power will go to Newcastle this weekend and he's fit and well."

BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham, March 12, 2025)
bet365: 3 Jonbon, 4 Gaelic Warrior, 6 El Fabiolo, 8 Energumene, 14 Marine Nationale, 20 Found A Fifty, Il Etait Temps, 25 bar

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