Fact To File (6-4 Favourite) won his second Grade One at The Festival when coming home the comfortable winner of today’s Ryanair Chase.

Last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase hero came home the comfortable nine length winner from Heart Wood.

It was an 81st Festival success for owner J P McManus.

Successful trainer Willie Mullins said: “They went a good gallop, he stayed with them and got all his jumping right, and off the bend, I don’t think Mark was worried; he just had to get over the last two fences and he did that well.

“The manner of the way in which he won was a bit of a surprise, but I felt coming here he’d win it. But the others were good horses, anyone would love to have them.

“I do agree that he might have been the horse to give Galopin Des Champs a battle tomorrow in the Gold Cup and he was in it, but he felt it was better to bide our options. He’ll probably be a Gold Cup horse next year. He’ll be a year older and we felt that at this stage a hard race in the Gold Cup, if the ground turned up soft… It’s not like that, but that was the way I was thinking all season. JP [McManus] didn’t want him to have a very hard race in the Gold Cup this year - sometimes that can ruin a horse’s career. So next year - I’m not going to say any more about two-year plans after Lossiemouth, but another year might be right. I think that’s what we’re looking at.

“I can see where JP [McManus] was coming from originally [about not running in the Gold Cup].

0“Probably some people after the Irish Gold Cup might not have thought that he fully stayed it - maybe it was a year too soon.”

Winning rider Mark Walsh said: “That was brilliant. That sort of distance suits him, as you can let him gallop on and let him use his jumping. He never missed a beat today, he winged everything and he’s just happier going on that stride. We were seeing if he could make a Gold Cup horse, we ran into Galopin Des Champs twice, we tried two different things and it didn’t work, so there’s no point trying it a third time.”

He added: “I was struggling to pull him up! Even coming up by the junction of the track here, he heard all the crowd on my left shouting, and he started pricking his ears and ducking away from them, so there’s loads left.”

Asked how much he is relishing his extraordinary book of rides this week, he said: “I love it. It’s what you dream of, to be riding horses like this. I’m in a privileged position to be riding these horses and I’m very grateful.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of the second Heart Wood and third Envoi Allen, said: “I’m delighted with both of them. Heart Wood ran a cracker and he is only a baby and he is coming along really nicely.

“It was a really good race, and they went a savage pace, and the winner is obviously very good.

“I think this is the right trip for Heart Wood as I’ve tried him over three miles a couple of times and he just wasn’t getting home, however he is only seven so we will see.

“Envoi Allen is just a legend and he was brilliant. Rachael (Blackmore) said he was really tough and that he really dug in up the hill to hold onto third. She was delighted with him and we all were as he is such a good horse.

“He is 11 now and those younger legs probably just have the edge on him, but he owes us nothing and he gives us so much fun. I thought he ran an absolute belter.

“Jungle Boogie made a couple of mistakes, but he was running well too for a while. He has got so much pace I might need to drop him back further.

“I wouldn’t be thinking I would be coming with many from here to Aintree, but we will see as nothing is set in stone yet.”

Dan Skelton, trainer of the fourth Protektorat, said: “We are happy with him. It was probably a better renewal this year. Fair play to the winner as he looked very impressive.

“Envoi Allen got the better of us this year whereas we got the better of him last year. The others were just a little bit better than us this year.

“I didn’t make the ground an excuse, and I certainly won’t, but probably nowadays he hasn’t got as much toe so slower ground probably suits him better.

“We are very proud of him and he has worn his heart on his sleeve again. He doesn’t want to let anyone down.

“When Il Est Francais pushed on a bit and broke the race up a bit I knew our winning chance had gone, but before the race I thought he would win as I thought he was in great form.

“We will go to Aintree as I said to Ged (Mason, part owner) in two years time we won’t be running.”

Noel George, joint-trainer of French raider Il Est Francais (sixth) said: “James (Reveley) said he was very happy with him, but he was nearly flat out as they went very fast early on.

“He was nice and relaxed. Turning down the back he has wanted to bowl along and let him do his thing.

“He is probably better right handed as he was always going a little bit right even though he was putting in those big leaps.

“When the winner has come past him he said he had nothing to give. Obviously the winner is very good, but I would say it is probably not our optimum track.

“There are no signs of any issues, but I would say it is not our track. We are looking forward to Kempton Park at Christmas.

“Where we go from now we will have to see how he comes out of it, but it is probably just his not type of track.”

Willie Mullins – 109 Festival wins
Mark Walsh – 12 Festival wins