Gaelic Warrior triumphs in thrilling John Durkan duel Gaelic Warrior got the better of a pulsating duel with stablemate Fact To File to win an epic renewal of the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Fact To File was the 11-8 favourite to successfully defend his crown in what looked another stellar running of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One with fellow Willie Mullins-trained star Gaelic Warrior rated his biggest threat at 13-8 on his first start since winning the Oaksey Chase at Sandown in the spring. Gaelic Warrior and Paul Townend blew the race apart from an early stage, going a strong gallop in front from the outset and quickly building up a significant lead over the chasing pack with Fact To File always his nearest pursuer in the hands of Mark Walsh. While another previous John Durkan winner in Fastorslow and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin never threatened to get involved, the big two settled down to fight it out from the home turn and although Fact To File looked likely to prevail after bridging the gap and briefly hitting the front on the approach to the final fence, Gaelic Warrior found more on the run-in and got back up to win a thriller by a neck. Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: “It was a hell of a horse race, and it was a pity someone had to lose but both horses gave their all and it was just a bob of a head. “Fact To File looked all over a winner coming down to the last and Gaelic Warrior just found more reserves. “Paul said he was just so free and well in himself; he just wanted to gallop and jump. “Paul said he was a passenger most of the way and out over the first two he didn’t have much say in the matter. “He was able to get a breather into him at the fourth-last and maybe after the third-last which gave him a little bit of powder coming down to the last. “Paul said he didn’t look around and just kept sitting and tried to get as much air into him as he could for one final effort and it paid off. “I’m not going to say anything here now (about future plans) but we’ll look to have something in the King George and something in Leopardstown. “We’ll see how they recover, how they come out of the race. It’s only five weeks away.” Paul Townend, interviewed on RTE, said: "My lad was fresh and ready and wanted to go today. I was only going to get in a wrestling match with him if I didn't let him on. "To be fair to him, he took a breather when he needed it and gave himself a chance to fill up and have a go at Mark (Walsh on Fact To File). "I got a good jump at the last when it was all on the line and he put his head down and rallied for me at the back of it. "I was a passenger in the early stages. He was so fresh and, without a horse in front of him, he just wanted to run into the daylight. "Once he went so fast early, it was a case of trying to get far enough clear that he'd be able to fill up and maybe go again. I've gone so hard for the first part of the race that if I'd gone fighting him then and left them into the race by me slowing down this lad in a fight, I may as well have turned around and gone home. "I never looked behind because the dangers were coming at me in front but his jumping held together. "Even when he was in close, he was just backing off enough to put himself right which meant he was jumping clean and not running into them and losing more energy." "It was a proper horse race and neither horse gave up. It was a huge run from both of them and hopefully they can come out of it okay."
