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Mullins to run seven in ultra-strong renewal of John Durkan

Fact To File (white cap) won last year's John Durkan Memorial Chase  Fact To File (white cap) won last year's John Durkan Memorial Chase
© Healy Racing Photos

The Willie Mullins-trained Fact To File will head back to Punchestown this Sunday in a bid to win the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase for a second consecutive year.

All 11 horses who remained in the €150,000 contest at the five-day stage have stood their ground with Mullins being responsible for seven of these including Grand National hero Nick Rockett and Paul Townend's mount Gaelic Warrior.

The multiple-time champion trainer told journalist Dave Keena: "Fact To File (who'll be ridden by Mark Walsh) won the race last year and it looks like he's our number one hope, going back again this year. He didn't do much wrong all last year.

"We tried a little experiment going over two miles with him (at the Punchestown festival) which didn't work out and we're looking forward to him on Sunday.

"Coming at this part of the season, it's a lovely race and is a great place to get all those chasers starting off.

"Let them be two-and-a-half mile Ryanair horses or Gold Cup horses, you're never taking too much out of them running over two-and-a-half miles at this part of the season and the ground (currently soft to heavy) is usually nice at Punchestown."

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.