Gaelic Warrior has the world at his feet

It has taken a while for me to warm to the talent and racing style of Gaelic Warrior, but after seeing the Willie Mullins-trained star land a pulsating renewal of the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase at Puncheston this afternoon, I am now a fully paid up member of his fan club, writes Paul Alster.

The race was quite rightly billed as possibly the most significant of all the Cheltenham Festival trials, even though the showcase meeting is still far away, the other side of winter. With last year’s winner Fastorslow coming back to attempt a title defence, the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin, the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Chase hero Lecky Watson, 2024 Grand National winner I Am Maximus, along with Fact Or File and Heart Wood, first and second in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last March, this top level two-and-a-half mile chase was always going to be a race to savour.

Gaelic Warrior came in for good market support and was sent off 13/8 second-favourite, just behind stable companion Fact To File, both horses making their respective seasonal reappearance after seven months off. Winning jockey Paul Townend later reported that it was not his idea to go tearing off in front from flag fall; that was all Gaelic Warrior’s doing, the ex-French seven-year-old relishing his return to action.

Going a cracking gallop throughout, Townend’s charge was around 20-lengths clear at halfway, leading many (myself included) to think that he had probably gone off too fast. That impression gained traction when he came right back to the pursuing Fact To File, on whom Mark Walsh clearly fancied his chance, the pair pulling clear of the rest of the field by the time they turned into the home straight and faced the final two fences. At the penultimate fence, with Fact To File closing in, Gaelic Warrior was far from fluent and the game appeared to be up as Walsh came there powerfully at the last and touched down with a head advantage.

Reeled in and with his big rival seemingly having the momentum to score, it seemed certain Gaelic Warrior would have to second for an honourable runner’s-up spot, but when Townend asked one final question the answer was breathtaking, Gaelic Warrior lengthening his stride again and battling back to get up to score by a neck.

This was Fact To File’s optimum trip and he ran a mighty race, the pair pulling a massive 29 lengths clear of Fastorslow, whose jockey JJ Slevin later reported his mount had been taken off his feet by the blistering pace but stayed on steadily on his first run for a year. Three miles is more his trip these days.

All the talk after the race was of the King George VI Chase at Kempton and how Gaelic Warrior will take all the beating if he gets the green light to go for the Boxing Day show-piece. He is now a top priced 7/4 favourite, with the highly progressive Jango Baie offered at 4/1. Fact To File is offered at 6/1 along with The Jukebox Man, and it’s 16/1 bar the four.

Whether or not Gaelic Warrior shows up at Kempton’s big meeting, from a potential punting angle I am more interested at this stage in the prospects of this gelded son of Maxios having a crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. We know he handles Cheltenham having won the 2024 Arkle Chase over two miles, and we know he now stays really well having seen off the relentless Grey Dawning to win the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl over 3m1f at Aintree in April, a race only a furlong less than the Gold Cup itself.

As he gets older – even allowing for his admirable enthusiasm – Gaelic Warrior is becoming more tractable. His versatility and attitude mean that whether he were to run in the Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase, or the Gold Cup itself, he would go to each of those races with a serious chance. Fact To File is very likely to be given the chance to defend his Ryanair Crown at Cheltenham in March, and of the two other options I would be more inclined to see Gaelic Warrior go for the blue riband event on the final day of the meeting than the Champion Chase.

Dual champion and stable companion Galopin Des Champs, last year’s runner-up when attempting a hat-trick of Gold Cup triumphs, will surely be aimed at the race again but is not getting any younger. The 8/1 currently available about Gaelic Warrior for the Gold Cup in the aftermath of his ‘Durkan’ triumph seems a very fair price for a horse who may not yet have reached the peak of his powers. He is such an exciting prospect.

Paul Alster has broadcast and reported on the British racing industry for four decades as a commentator, journalist, TV and radio presenter, betting correspondent, SP Returner, tipster and form analyst, among other things.