Mullins: Fact To File could be added to King George field

Willie Mullins could still be represented in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase having raised the possibility of supplementing Sunday's John Durkan Memorial winner Fact To File.

The JP McManus-owned second-season chaser confirmed the big impression he made as a novice when holding off another McManus runner in Spillane’s Tower, with dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow further behind.

No decision needs to be made until 20 December and with Mullins keen to stick to what he knows with Galopin Des Champs, meaning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, Fact To File could yet head to Kempton Park after his Punchestown triumph.

McManus does, however, already have the ante-post favourite for the King George in Corbetts Cross, trained by Mullins’ nephew, Emmet.

"Fact To File wasn’t in the King George. It was discussed, but we left him out. Now it will have to be discussed if he’ll be a supplementary entry, everything is open at this stage," said the champion trainer, as he hosted the media on Wednesday morning.

"He ran at Christmas and the Dublin Racing Festival last year, whether they (owners) want to change, I don’t know. They have Spillane’s Tower as well.

"He learned an awful lot the other day, the way he was held in by Fastorslow, and it was tough racing being marked the whole time. He raced on again when the other horse came to him, he’ll have learned an awful lot and that will bring him on.

"Hopefully he can bring that sort of class to the Gold Cup. That’s (King George) up for discussion. JP could either have two at Leopardstown with Spillane’s Tower or two at Kempton with Corbetts Cross if they are all hopefully sound. If Corbetts Cross didn’t make it then you’d have to have a double think about supplementing."

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