Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow to face Fact To File in epic John Durkan Memorial Chase on Sunday

Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow will face Fact To File and six other rivals when they clash in a scintillating running of the John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.25) at Punchestown on Sunday.

Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow have met each other three times, with the score standing at three apiece, and they will again face off in the race Fastorslow won last year.

It was Fastorslow's third Grade 1 triumph and he defeated the dual Gold Cup winner by a length and three-quarters, with Appreciate It splitting the pair. He was out of luck in two starts after that, however, finishing second in the Irish Gold Cup and unseating JJ Slevin at Cheltenham.

He roared back to form in the Punchestown Gold Cup in May, with his old rival finishing a length and a quarter behind. He seems to run better fresh, so could have the edge over Galopin Des Champs again.

The last-named won the John Durkan in 2022 and scooped a hat-trick of Grade 1s last year at Leopardstown (twice) and Cheltenham, where he stormed to success in the season's championship event.

Fact To File: last season's star novice chaser returns in the John DurkanCredit: Patrick McCann

However, this year will have fresh competition in the shape of last season's Brown Advisory winner Fact To File, who has been beaten only once over fences. The seven-year-old has looked a rare talent since transferring his excellent bumper form to chasing.

His owner JP McManus will be represented by two others, with the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin, who landed the Kim Muir in impressive style in March before taking Grade 1 honours at Aintree, set to line up alongside Jimmy Mangan's dual Grade 1-winning novice Spillane's Tower.

As well as Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File, Willie Mullins will field Blue Lord, Grangeclare West and Minella Cocooner. He has won seven of the last ten runnings of the event.

The legendary trainer will be hoping to begin the weekend in style when he sends out Capodanno to contest the Betfair Chase (3.05) at Haydock on Saturday. Last season's Cotswold Chase winner will be Mullins' first runner in the race.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Journey With Me, who has yet to win at the highest level but always promised a great deal, completes the stellar field.

John Durkan Memorial Chase runners and riders

Blue Lord Sean O'Keeffe
Fact To File Mark Walsh
Fastorslow Derek O'Connor
Galopin Des Champs Paul Townend
Grangeclare West Patrick Mullins
Inothewayurthinkin Keith Donoghue
Journey With Me Darragh O'Keeffe
Minella Cocooner Danny Mullins
Spillane's Tower Jack Kennedy

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John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.25 Punchestown, Sunday)

Paddy Power: 5-2 Fact To File, Fastorslow, 11-4 Galopin Des Champs, 7 Spillane’s Tower, 14 Grangeclare West, 16 Inothewayurthinkin, 25 Journey With Me, 40 Minella Cocooner, 50 Blue Lord

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