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Cheltenham Festival: It’s hard to see how Fact To File can beat Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup

Ruby Walsh

Cheltenham Festival, Horse Racing News

7mo ago

*Paddy Power is now Non Runner Money Back for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. That means that if your selection does not line up in the race you back it in for any reason – you will now get your stake back. TC’s apply.

*Paddy also has the more traditional ante-post market where you will lose your stake if your selection doesn’t run in the race for whatever reason.

Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ is back as host Tom Nugent picks the brains of the Cheltenham Festival’s winning-most jockey turned TV pundit Ruby Walsh and well-known journalist and broadcaster Rory Delargy for their best Cheltenham betting tips.

In the fourth episode of this year’s series, the gang have looked at the Cheltenham Gold Cup ahead of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.

RUBY WALSH

Galopin Des Champs won the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup on Saturday but do I think it was his best performance ever? No, but he got a really good ride, a really clever ride from Paul Townend as in ‘I’m only going to do enough to win the race’ and that’s exactly what he did. Come March that’ll be a help as it will in April at Punchestown. All those little things add up.

Will Fact To File line up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Personally, I think he’ll go back down in trip.

There was no excuse in losing to Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown on Saturday. He settled better than he did at Christmas, he jumped better than he did at Christmas, he was close enough off a steady enough pace from three out.

But not alone did he not get to Galopin Des Champs, he didn’t even hold second, he dropped back to finish third. That’s slightly underwhelming.

Now I haven’t asked anybody else [at Willie Mullins’ yard], but to me his two best performances were in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown last year and, arguably, what he did over 2m 5f to Gaelic Warrior at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Regardless of the form – it was just the manner in which he did that at the 2m 5f trip. It was effectively a walkover against Gaelic Warrior, but to the naked eye, he looked spectacular then.