Fact To File was declared a non-runner in the Ryanair Chase on Day Three of the Festival due to the ground conditions
Willie Mullins has hit out at the ground conditions at the Cheltenham Festival after the high-profile defection of Fact To File from the Ryanair Chase.
The JP McManus-owned star was set to go off a short-priced favourite for the one of the feature races of the third day of the Festival having also won the race last year.
However, his participation in Ryanair was in doubt from early in the morning when Mullins and McManus walked the track.
Prior to the start of the Stayers’ Hurdle, news filtered through that the Irish Gold Cup winner was a non-runner.
Speaking to Racing TV, Mullins stated: “We walked the track – JP [McManus] walked the track and I happened to walk it coming across the track from exercising horses and looking at Bambino Fever – and I thought wow, this ground will be too good for her.
“And sure enough, in the first race she wasn’t able to act on it. Talking to JP, these horses are too difficult to acquire and get as you’ll see at the sales after racing and when you have them, you mind them.
“We waited and waited all day for the rain that was half-promised, it hasn’t come so we made the decision not to run.
“These horses are too hard to find, too hard to get. In jump racing we want to have soft in the description of the ground. Good ground we think is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race and have the top horses at the best festival. If the ground is going to be like this then we are not going to bring them.
“We were promised watering and I am not sure the watering we were promised was done, so I’m a little bit annoyed at that. I know the weather forecast hasn’t been kind but very few people complain about too much rain and a bit of watering, but this isn’t good for the type of horse we are bringing over here.
“I know it suits some horses but for the majority of the good, big, National Hunt horses, we would like it a little softer anyway.”
Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.