There was a collective groan from horseracing fans at the Cheltenham Festival when it became clear that JP McManus and Willie Mullins did not intend to run fan-favourite Fact To File in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase.
The pair had already raised the eyebrows of spectators last week when omitting him from Friday’s Gold Cup with the reaction to that news one of disbelief. But that wasn’t how McManus saw it.
A year ago, Fact To File’s owner had watched him travel strongly and remain in touch with the leaders in the 2025 running of the Ryanair before heading into the lead three jumps from home and going clear by the next fence. He saw the way Fact To File won by nine lengths decided that a repeat performance would be good enough. Until it wasn’t.
There were rumblings that something was up early in the morning, with the ground (Good, Good to Soft in places) believed to be too firm for Fact To File, and that despite a consistent downpour of rain over Prestbury Park.
“I left it [the decision to run him] to Willie,” McManus said after the second race of the day. “I have to say I found it too much for him., It was a bit, part of the course, all together, not to my liking.
“I’ve walked the track every day, they’ve done a great job, but I think they could’ve done more, especially at the top of the track, not everyone would agree with me, if there’s significant rain, he’ll run, if there’s not, he won’t.”
He didn’t. And that was to Heart Wood’s gain.
Henry de Bromhead’s gelding finished second in 2025, losing on the stretch to the superior Fact To File but this year was different. JPR One set the pace from the start and was tracked by the favourite, Jonbon, who held off his shoulder and was being ridden forward by Nico de Boinville.
Darragh O’Keeffe rode Heart Wood and stayed back. Holding him in position around fourth and fifth until the downhill on the second circuit. He drifted to the outside and made his move at the turn, a tactic well used this week. Two jumps from home he took the lead with as JPR One fell away and Banbridge looked to make a late attack.
It wasn’t to be for them as Heart Wood cleared the last with distance to spare and Jonbon had enough left in the tank to take second place.
But that wasn’t the end of the tale as Mullins lambasted the ground keeping at the Festival and promised to stop bringing his best horses here if conditions do not improve.
“It’s jump racing, we want soft in the ground, good ground, we think it’s not good enough for the type of individual we’re buying and trying to race and have the top horses in the best festival, if the ground is like this, we won’t bring them,” he told Racing TV.
“I think [Cheltenham should have done more], we were promised watering, and I’m not sure the watering has been done. I’m a bit annoyed about that… this isn’t good for the type of horses we’re bringing over here, for the majority, we’d like it a bit softer.”
As the preeminent trainer in the industry, Mullins’ words carry weight but how will they impact the Festival going forward?
Elsewhere, Lossiemouth’s triumph in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday meant she would no longer be running in the Mares Hurdle and her absence left the door open for Wodhooh.
Gordon Elliott’s prize winner entered the race having won in four of her last five runs, with her only defeat coming last April to Lossiemouth at Aintree. She was star, the 5/6 favourite and the one to beat in a small field of just seven runners. With few opponents to compete against Wodhooh was in her element. As was Jack Kennedy sat atop her. He controlled her race, positioning her in third off the start and sitting on the shoulder on Dream on Baby with a gap to the outside.
She made his move down the hill and towards the turn for home, drifting further away from the rail and taking to the front of the pack. There were loud cheers as Wodhooh cleared the last but Jade De Grugy offered a final test with a late charge down the home straight. Wodhooh had reserves though and kept her at bay to bring Elliott is first win of the Festival week.
Kennedy said: “She’s some mare. It has been a frustrating couple of days, but we knew we had a proper shot at getting on the board. I had no winner last year, but thankfully for Gordon and the team they have not had to wait so long.”
Elliott thought he had a strong chance of a second winner in as many races as with Teahupoo the favourite to win the in the Stayers’ Hurdle for the first time since 2024. Yet is was disappointment again as a thrillingly impressive run from Home By The Lee, at 33/1 no less, earned a JP O’Brien and jockey JJ Slevin the plaudits in the other premium race of the day.
But perhaps the best story came at the start.
In the opening race of the day 31-year-old jockey Tom Bellamy rode 40/1 outsider White Noise to victory and won his first ever race at the Cheltenham Festival. It was a sort of full circle moment for the emotional Bellamy who claimed he had ‘waited for this his whole life’.
“I’ve waited my whole life for this day. I can’t believe it, I’m speechless,” he told ITV. “”A great performance from a really likeable filly. I’m delighted for the team at home. This tops my whole career, not just this season.”
He added that he used to ‘bunk off school’ to come and see the races at this course saying: “I’m nearly crying here. I bunked off school as a kid to come and watch the Cheltenham Festival, and I can’t believe I’m walking around here after winning.”
