Gaelic Warrior once again proved he is the premier staying chaser of the season when he added the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup to his Cheltenham crown with a flawless run. The eight‑year‑old, trained by the legendary Willie Mullins, travelled through the course with effortless grace, confirming his dominance over the longer distances. As the 5/6 favourite, he settled comfortably behind his stablemate Fact To File, who had taken the early lead, before Paul Townend asked him to accelerate with two fences remaining. The champion responded instantly, surged ahead and never looked back, finishing a staggering 26 lengths clear of Fact To File, who had tried to make a late challenge from the front.
Mullins could not hide his excitement after the race. "It was a massive performance.
My heart was in my mouth when Paul brought him alongside Fact To File between the fourth‑last and third‑last fences. I was wondering whether they would clash or what would happen.
They were both going at a real clip," he said. "Both jockeys gave them room to run. Over that distance Gaelic Warrior seemed to have the measure of Fact To File.
Over a shorter trip it might have been a different story. It was an incredible race – it takes two horses to make it memorable. It was great that JP (McManus) let Fact To File challenge him.
It gave us a day to remember." He continued, "Both horses got the run they wanted. Fact To File posted a nice time up front and Paul was able to settle his mount nicely.
There are no excuses for either rider – they both rode exactly how they intended." Gaelic Warrior's campaign this year has been a whirlwind of top‑class appearances. He began his season in November at Punchestown, then travelled to Kempton for the King George, competed at the Dublin Racing Festival, took the Cheltenham Gold Cup and returned to Punchestown for the final showdown. Mullins explained his philosophy: "If you have the horses and the sponsors are willing to put up good money, you should seize the opportunity.
I try to give them as many runs as possible when the conditions are right." The rivalry between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File has already produced three meetings this season. Their first clash came in the John Durkan at Punchestown, after which Fact To File turned the tables in the Irish Gold Cup. Mullins hinted that the two may meet again next year in the John Durkan, saying, "That would be the logical plan for Gaelic Warrior's return." Owner Rich Ricci expressed his delight at the historic win: "We've never won this race before. It was very sporting of JP to run his horse; the ground perhaps didn't suit him, but he's a fantastic animal.
I'm thrilled to win it. I haven't been at Punchestown since Ruby Walsh retired in 2019. We've had a busy few years with Covid and everything, but the people here are brilliant and I'm overjoyed with the result." The meeting also produced other notable performances.
In the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle, Le Frimeur, trained by Harry Derham, maintained an unbeaten record by beating Zanoosh, owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, by six and a half lengths. Derham, who secured his first Grade One victory, said, "It's a cliché, but I truly dream of training Grade One winners. It's unreal and makes everything easier when you have quality horses. Simon approached me last year and told me about this horse.
To have access to horses like this is unbelievable. He had a setback in the autumn but improved all spring." J.J. Slevin, who rode Le Frimeur, added, "We had no idea how good he was coming here, and I'm still not sure we fully understand his ability.
JJ said he made a few mistakes in the race, yet he still beat a strong field. It's absolutely unreal. We believed in the horse, otherwise we wouldn't have brought him here.
Three miles was the right distance for him." In the Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race, Josh Halford timed his ride perfectly on With Nolimit, who held off a late surge from Festival hero The Mourne Rambler to win by a length and three‑quarters. Gordon Elliott, the trainer, praised his 14/1 winner: "He ran a good race at Cheltenham, perhaps a bit too hard. I may have given the wrong instructions, but Josh gave him a superb ride.
I'm delighted for Josh – he works in the yard, is hardworking and a great bloke. He's been with me for a couple of years and has delivered several winners. He's quiet, patient, and now a Grade One winner – that's a huge achievement." Elliott noted that the victory brings his stable's tally of Grade One wins this season to twelve, adding, "That's equal with our best ever season for Grade Ones.
Hopefully we can add another before the week is out." Henry de Bromhead's Nouvotic, starting at 7/1, jumped clear of the field after the third fence to claim the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase under Darragh O'Keeffe. De Bromhead commented, "It's wonderful to get a win, especially for Roger Brookhouse, a great supporter of Punchestown. He comes every year and loves the venue. This is our second win here after Lets Go Champ a few years ago.
I couldn't believe the easy lead Darragh got – I'm delighted." When asked about the possibility of Nouvotic contesting the Galway Plate, de Bromhead said, "He could, but his rating might not be high enough – he was 130 there, so perhaps not. He could be aimed at the Blazers or a similar race. He loves that ground." Overall, Punchestown delivered a day packed with high‑calibre performances, memorable duels and historic firsts, underscoring why the festival remains a highlight of the Irish racing calendar.