Fact To File could drop back to two miles at Punchestown

Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File could drop back in trip for a tilt at the William Hill Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival, connections have revealed.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding was a brilliant winner at Cheltenham, but with no middle-distance option available in County Kildare, he will either contest the Punchestown Gold Cup or be asked to run over two miles in the Champion Chase.

Which race he ultimately lines up for is likely to depend on whether his owner JP McManus elects to run Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin in the Punchestown equivalent.

Should Fact To File run in the Champion Chase, he could meet another McManus-owned Festival winner in his stablemate Dinoblue, who landed the Mares’ Chase in the Cotswolds two weeks ago.

Speaking at Limerick on Sunday, the owner’s racing manager Frank Berry said: “Obviously Inothewayurthinkin isn’t going to Liverpool (Aintree), so it’ll be either Punchestown or pull up. He’ll want safe ground and again, ground depending, Fact To File will also go to Punchestown.

“It’s up in the air but Fact To File has the two-mile and the three-mile options. It depends if the other fella (Inothewayurthinkin) runs but Fact To File could well go back to two miles.

“Dinoblue will probably again tog out in the Champion Chase, so there is every chance, if the ground is OK, that the three will run in Punchestown.”

Before Punchestown, there is the Randox Grand National meeting, and although Inothewayurthinkin is no longer in contention, the McManus colours will again be carried by last year’s winner I Am Maximus in the big one.

The Mullins-trained gelding has yet to fire this season, but Berry was able to issue an upbeat report.

“The reports are good and Willie is happy with him. I’d be surprised if Paul (Townend) doesn’t ride him, but I don’t know,” he said.