Marine Nationale and Fact To File all set for Punchestown showdown

Barry Connell believes Marine Nationale is closing in on being the finished article ahead of his blockbuster clash with Fact To File in the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown on Tuesday.

The undoubted highlight on the opening day of the festival sees the Queen Mother Champion Chase winner face off against Willie Mullins’ impressive Ryanair Chase hero.

Having missed the majority of his novice chase season, Connell, who owns and trains Marine Nationale, has been playing catch up in terms of experience, but he now appears to be reaching his peak.

“He didn’t have much of a blow after the race. I think he was the easiest winner of the whole week and he’s come out of the race in super shape,” said O’Connell, for whom the victory was an emotional one with the late Michael O’Sullivan having ridden Marine Nationale to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle glory in 2023.

“He hasn’t had an over-taxing season really. We’ve been building up to the spring festivals so we’re looking forward to him going to Punchestown. Hopefully we get the usual nice spring ground, which will suit him well.

“The big thing with him was that he came into the season basically still a novice, lacking a lot of experience, and he was being pitched in against battle-hardened chasers and it’s a difficult thing to do, particularly in the two-mile division, where jumping accuracy is so important.

“He kicked off low key in Naas. That was a big stepping stone. His two runs at Leopardstown were really good. He jumped well and as he usually does when he goes to Cheltenham, he comes alive, loves the place. It was all building towards getting the experience and fitness and everything came together at Cheltenham.

“His jumping was exemplary and it took him into the race without any great effort. And then the usual thing he does, when he jumps the last at Cheltenham, he just takes off. We couldn’t be happier with him now.”

Fact To File looked the real deal in the Ryanair and showed so much pace Mullins is happy to drop down to two miles with him.

It will, though, be the first time Fact To File has raced over the minimum trip since he was beaten in the Cheltenham bumper in 2023.

“It’s a bit of an unknown dropping back in trip, but Willie is happy with him and he’s in good form,” said Frank Berry, owner JP McManus’ racing manager.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him and it should be a good race. He can jump at speed and he will be taking on the Champion Chase winner and it will be a great race – we hope for the best.”

While only six go to post they also include a previous Champion Chase winner in Captain Guinness, dual Grade One scorer Solness and 2023 Arkle winner El Fabiolo.

Mullins dominates the other Grade Ones on the card. He fields four of the six in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle, with Supreme winner Kopek Des Bordes meeting stablemate Salvator Mundi again.

In the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase, he is responsible for five of the nine.

Ballyburn, Champ Kiely, Ile Atlantique, Impaire Et Passe and Brown Advisory winner Lecky Watson come up against the Henry de Bromhead pair of Gorgeous Tom and Slade Steel. Polly Gundry’s Don’t Rightly Know is the sole UK runner in the Grade Ones on the opening day.