YES SIREE BOB

Queen Rachael makes more history

- BRIAN FLANAGAN

FILE FLIES HOME

AN AWESOME Fact To File produced the performance of the week with a monstrous display in winning yesterday's Ryanair Chase.

The eight-year-old, who followed his win in the Brown Advisory here 12 months ago, raced clear around the closing bend under jockey Mark Walsh to beat the Henry De Bromhead pair of Heart Wood and Envoi Allen in an Irish 1-2-3.

The JP McManus-owned and Willie Mullins-trained gelding had been rerouted to this shorter 2m5f contest having suffered two defeats to stablemate Galopin Des Champs over three miles at Christmas and at the Dublin Racing Festival.

And it proved a wise move as he dismantled a quality field in the style of a real superstar in the making, franking the form of his Gold Cup hat-trickseeking stablemate in the process.

"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," said Mullins.

"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."

Mullins now believes Fact To File could bridge that gap to the Gold Cup next season when he's a year older.