William Hill Champion Chase |
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| Grade 1, Punchestown 17:25 €300,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m, Class 1  |
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The Ryanair Chase hero Fact To File could be set for a fascinating drop back in trip at the Punchestown Festival, with connections revealing the William Hill Champion Chase is firmly on the table.
Wow 👏
— Sporting Life Racing: Cheltenham Festival 2025! (@SportingLife) March 13, 2025
FACT TO FILE is a dominant winner of the Ryanair! 🟢🟡pic.twitter.com/95k4bEa9EY
Brilliant at Cheltenham, the Willie Mullins-trained gelding finds himself in a tactical conundrum with no ideal middle-distance option in County Kildare.
That leaves two possibilities—either stepping up to contest the Punchestown Gold Cup or taking on the speedsters over two miles in the Champion Chase.
Speaking at Limerick on Sunday, McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry confirmed the decision is still up in the air: "Inothewayurthinkin isn’t going to Liverpool, so it'll either be Punchestown or nowhere. He wants safe ground, and the same goes for Fact To File, who has the two-mile and three-mile options. It depends if the other fella runs, but dropping back to two miles is very much on the cards."
William Hill Champion Chase
€300,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m, Class 1
13 entries
Going:
NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 1-4U17 Banbridge 9 11-12 Joseph O'Brien
2 213P-3 Blood Destiny 6 11-12 W P Mullins
3 2-P563 Captain Guinness 10 11-12 Henry De Bromhead
4 -3F235 Edwardstone 11 11-12 Alan King
5 P2-F2F El Fabiolo 8 11-12 W P Mullins
6 11/12P Energumene 11 11-12 W P Mullins
7 1-1231 Fact To File 8 11-12 W P Mullins
8 12-231 Gaelic Warrior 7 11-12 W P Mullins
9 21311- Il Etait Temps 7 11-12 W P Mullins
10 416-1P Jungle Boogie 11 11-12 Henry De Bromhead
11 5-2321 Marine Nationale 8 11-12 Barry Connell
12 U4U3P1 Senecia 8 11-12 Vincent Laurence Halley
13 324114 Solness 7 11-12 Joseph O'Brien
Past Results:
| Year | Horse | Age/Wt/Owner | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | Banbridge 6/1 | 8-11-12 R A Bartlett |
Joseph O'Brien | J J Slevin |
| 2023 | Energumene 2/7F | 9-11-12 Tony Bloom |
Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2022 | Energumene 4/7F | 8-11-12 Tony Bloom |
Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2021 | Chacun Pour Soi 6/5F | 9-12-00 E O'Connell |
Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2020 | Abandoned (Covid-19) |
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| 2019 | Un De Sceaux 11/4 | 11-11-12 E O'Connell |
Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2018 | Un De Sceaux 9/2 | 10-11-12 E O'Connell |
Willie Mullins | Mr P W Mullins |
| 2017 | Fox Norton 5/2 | 7-11-12 Ann & Alan Potts Limited |
C L Tizzard | R M Power |
| 2016 | God's Own 9/1 | 8-11-12 Crossed Fingers P’ship |
T R George | P J Brennan |
| 2015 | Felix Yonger 5/1 | 9-11-12 Andrea & Graham Wylie |
Willie Mullins | Danny Mullins |
| 2014 | Sizing Europe 7/1 | 12-11-12 Ann & Alan Potts P’ship |
Henry de Bromhead | Andrew Lynch |
| 2013 | Sprinter Sacre 1/9 Fav |
7-11-12 Mrs Caroline Mould |
Nicky Henderson GB | Barry Geraghty |
| 2012 | Sizing Europe 8/13 Fav |
10-11-12 Ann & Alan Potts P’ship |
Henry de Bromhead | Andrew Lynch |
| 2011 | Big Zeb 9/4 |
10-11-12 Pat Redmond |
Colm Murphy | Barry Geraghty |
| 2010 | Golden Silver 12/1 |
8-11-12 Violet O’Leary |
Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2009 | Master Minded 30/100 Fav | 6-11-12 Clive Smith |
Paul Nicholls GB | Ruby Walsh |
| 2008 | Twist Magic 6/4 Fav |
6-11-12 Barry Fulton, Tony Hayward, Michael Lynch |
Paul Nicholls GB | Ruby Walsh |
| 2007 | Mansony 13/2 | 8-11-12 Michael Mulholland |
Arthur Moore | Davy Russell |
| 2006 | Newmill 5/4 Fav | 8-11-12 Mary Hayes |
John Murphy | Andrew McNamara |
| 2005 | Rathgar Beau 8/1 | 9-11-12 One-O-Eight Racing Club |
Eamon Sheehy | Shay Barry |
| 2004 | Moscow Flyer 4/11 Fav | 10-11-12 Brian Kearney |
Jessica Harrington | Barry Geraghty |
| 2003 | Flagship Uberalles 8/1 | 9-12-00 J P McManus |
Philip Hobbs GB | Richard Johnson |
| 2002 | Strong Run 4/1 | 9-12-00 Michael McGrath |
Noel Meade | Paul Carberry |
| *2001 | Micko’s Dream 5/1 | 9-12-00 Sport Racing Club |
Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh |
| 2000 | Get Real 3/1 | 9-11-06 Pioneer Heat-Treatment |
Nicky Henderson GB | Mick Fitzgerald |
| 1999 | Celibate 7/1 | 8-11-09 Stamford Bridge P’ship |
Charlie Mann GB | Richard Dunwoody |
| 1998 | Big Matt 16/1 | 10-10-11 Ted Benfield & Bill Brown |
Nicky Henderson GB | Mick Fitzgerald |
| 1997 | Klairon Davis 11/10 Fav | 8-12-00 Chris Jones |
Arthur Moore | Francis Woods |
| 1996 | Klairon Davis 5/2 | 7-12-00 Chris Jones |
Arthur Moore | Francis Woods |
| 1995 | Strong Platinum 3/1 Fav | 7-11-01 Theresa McCoubrey |
Paddy Burke | Conor O’Dwyer |
| 1994 | Saraemma 16/1 | 8-10-12 Dermot Cox |
Homer Scott | Kevin O’Brien |
| 1993 | Viking Flagship 5/4 Fav | 6-10-07 Roach Foods Ltd |
David Nicholson GB | Richard Dunwoody |
| 1992 | The Musical Priest 8/1 | 10-10-07 Mrs Seamus Purcell |
Michael Purcell | Jason Titley |
| 1991 | Good For A Laugh 8/1 | 7-9-11 Dr Michael Smurfit |
Arthur Moore | Charlie Swan |
| 1990 | Rust Never Sleeps 14/1 | 6-10-06 D M Murphy |
Austin Leahy | Gerry O’Neill |
| 1989 | Super Furrow 12/1 | 9-12-00 Mrs M Marshall |
Jerry O’Neill | Padge Gill |
| 1988 | Flying Ferret 8/1 | 7-9-07 Mrs V O’Leary |
Tony Redmond | Brendan Powell |
| 1987 | Eddie Wee 11/2 Jt Fav | 11-10-12 Mrs Y Rock |
Billy Rock | Conor O’Dwyer |
| 1986 | Another Brownie 6/1 | 7-9-07 S Lucey |
M McGrath | J P Byrne |
| 1985 | Buck House 11/10 Fav | 7-11-07 Mrs S Purcell |
Mouse Morris | Tommy Carmody |
| 1984 | Travelowen 6/4 Fav | 7-12-00 Mrs M Kelly |
Tom Costello | Mr Tom Costello |
| 1983 | Turloughmore Lad 7/1 | 8-9-07 M McDonagh |
Paddy Norris | Paul Leech |
| 1982 | Light The Wad 3/1 | 9-11-03 Exors of Patrick Downey |
Dessie Hughes | Tom Morgan |
| 1981 | Light The Wad 6/1 | 8-10-10 Patrick Downey |
Dessie Hughes | Frank Leavy |
| 1980 | Paddy Bouler 7/4 Fav | 7-11-04 P Rooney |
Pat Rooney | S Lynch |
