John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Grade 1)

THE John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase has developed something of a reputation for quality fields and thrilling finishes, but Gaelic Warrior (13/8) outshone recent memorable performances with an all-the-way win that surprised even his champion trainer, Willie Mullins.

Keen in Paul Townend’s hands from the jump-off, his rider soon accepted his fate, as did Mark Walsh aboard the 2024 winner Fact To File (11/8f), who led the rest of the field from a clear gap. As the two-and-a-half-mile test neared its end and Fact To File ate down the distance, it seemed that Gaelic Warrior’s defeat was on the wall.

The favourite was almost upsides when jumping the second last, Walsh motionless alongside an under-pressure Townend, but Gaelic Warrior proved well-named as he refused to lie down. Battling neck-and-neck to the line, Gaelic Warrior prevailed by a neck to notch his fifth Grade 1 win. Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow finished best of the remainder on his first start in 12 months.

Hell of a horse race

Willie Mullins said what we were all thinking after training the first two home. “It was a hell of a horse race, it’s a pity someone had to lose,” he said. “Both horses gave their all and it was just the bob of a head. I don’t know what price Fact To File was coming down to the last, he looked all over the winner, but Gaelic Warrior just found more reserves.

“Paul said he was just so free and well in himself, he just wanted to gallop and jump, and he was doing everything fairly right. For luck, he was able to get a breather into him after the fourth last, which gave him a little bit of powder over the last, and it worked.”

As to where we’ll next see Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, the trainer replied: “I’m not going to say anything here and now but we’d love to have something in the King George, we’d love to have something in Leopardstown.

“So, we’ll see how they recover, see how they come out of the race; it’s only five weeks away I think and for those steeplechasers, they take a long time to recover, I think.”