Fact To File could yet enter the King George picture, says Mullins

Willie Mullins could still be represented in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase having raised the possibility of supplementing Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial winner Fact To File.

The JP McManus-owned second-season chaser confirmed the big impression he made as a novice when holding off another McManus runner in Spillane’s Tower, with dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow further behind.

No decision needs to be made until December 20 and with Mullins keen to stick to what he knows with Galopin Des Champs, meaning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, Fact To File could yet head to Kempton Park after his Punchestown triumph.

McManus does, however, already have the ante-post favourite for the King George in Corbetts Cross, trained by Mullins’ nephew, Emmet.

“Fact To File wasn’t in the King George. It was discussed, but we left him out. Now it will have to be discussed if he’ll be a supplementary entry, everything is open at this stage,” said the champion trainer, as he hosted the media on Wednesday morning.

“He ran at Christmas and the Dublin Racing Festival last year, whether they (owners) want to change, I don’t know. They have Spillane’s Tower (to think about) as well.

“He learned an awful lot the other day, the way he was held in by Fastorslow, and it was tough racing being marked the whole time. He raced on again when the other horse came to him, he’ll have learned an awful lot and that will bring him on.

“Hopefully he can bring that sort of class to the Gold Cup. That’s (King George) up for discussion. JP could either have two at Leopardstown with Spillane’s Tower or two at Kempton with Corbetts Cross if they are all hopefully sound. If Corbetts Cross didn’t make it then you’d have to have a double think about supplementing.”

The previous ante-post favourite was last year’s Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior, but Mullins withdrew him on Tuesday as he was not in favour of the idea of running him over three miles first time out this season and he will stick to two miles for the foreseeable future.

“We went through all the other horses and the biggest one I thought was Gaelic Warrior and I said if we weren’t going to run him over three miles on his first start of the season, take him out now because we can go straight to Leopardstown over two miles which I think will suit him better,” said Mullins.

“All the rest I think will go to Leopardstown or wherever.

“Gaelic Warrior missed a bit of time, but he’s back again. He’ll go over two miles at Christmas and then the Dublin Racing Festival, I imagine.

“We could look at the Clarence House, Energumene has gone there before over two-one as right-handed at Ascot would suit him, but it’s more than likely we’ll go Leopardstown, Leopardstown, Champion Chase (at Cheltenham).

“We took him out of the King George because I wasn’t going to run him over three miles on his first run of the season. If he’d had a run in the Durkan we would probably have looked at the King George, but the way things have panned out we are looking at Christmas, the DRF and then Cheltenham.

“I enter them in many different races because they might pick up a foot bruise or something and then you have to go to plan B and we’re lucky enough (to be able to do it).  If you keep your options open it makes it easier for the benefit of the horse rather than rushing for a race and they run bad and then you are plan B or C.”

Another towards the head of the King George betting was Il Etait Temps but he is set to miss the first half of the campaign.

“He was ready to run, I had him in the John Durkan but he got a little infection last week. Infections can be so sore it can look like a fracture, I thought he’d broken a bone in a front leg, but it was an infection which had to be washed out,” said Mullins.

“He’ll miss three weeks so he’ll miss Christmas, but hopefully be back for the Dublin Racing Festival. When I saw him in the yard last week, I thought he was out for the season but the vets have said it’s fine, it’s just an acute infection which should come right.”