Willie Mullins explains King George withdrawals but could still have a runner

The champion trainer took out all eight entries for the Boxing Day race on Tuesday but may consider making a supplementary entry for one of his other stars

Willie Mullins could still be represented in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase despite no longer having any horses entered in the race.

The champion jumps trainer of both Britain and Ireland originally put eight members of his formidable team in the £250,000 Boxing Day showpiece at Kempton at the entry stage.

They included Gaelic Warrior who was promoted to the head of the betting and was generally available at 11-4 after French star Il Est Francais was beaten in his warm-up race.

Yet on Tuesday, Mullins caused a surprise when he removed not only last season’s Arkle Trophy winner but also the rest of his entries in the 3m race.

As a result bookmakers were forced to carry out wholesale changes to the ante-post market for Britain’s Christmas holiday racing highlight.

Dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, Il Etait Temps, who won three times at Grade 1 level last term, Blue Lord, Capodanno, Ferny Hollow, Grangeclare West and Minella Cocooner were the other withdrawals.

But on Wednesday Mullins raised the possibility of supplementing Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial winner Fact To File.

The JP McManus-owned second-season chaser confirmed the big impression he made as a novice when holding off another McManus runner in Spillane’s Tower, with dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow further behind.

No decision needs to be made until December 20 and, with Mullins keen to stick to what he knows with Galopin Des Champs, meaning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, Fact To File could yet head to Kempton Park after his Punchestown triumph.

McManus does, however, already have the ante-post favourite for the King George in Corbetts Cross, trained by Mullins’ nephew, Emmet.

“Fact To File wasn’t in the King George.” Mullins said. “It was discussed, but we left him out.

“Now it will have to be discussed if he’ll be a supplementary entry, everything is open at this stage.

“He ran at Christmas and the Dublin Racing Festival last year, whether they (owners) want to change, I don’t know. They have Spillane’s Tower (to think about) as well.

“He learned an awful lot the other day, the way he was held in by Fastorslow, and it was tough racing being marked the whole time. He raced on again when the other horse came to him, he’ll have learned an awful lot and that will bring him on.

“JP could either have two at Leopardstown with Spillane’s Tower or two at Kempton with Corbetts Cross if they are all hopefully sound. If Corbetts Cross didn’t make it then you’d have to have a double think about supplementing.”

Mullins said he withdrew Gaelic Warrior because he was not in favour of the idea of running him over three miles first time out and he will stick to two miles for the foreseeable future.

“We went through all the other horses and the biggest one I thought was Gaelic Warrior and I said if we weren’t going to run him over three miles on his first start of the season, take him out now because we can go straight to Leopardstown over two miles which I think will suit him better,” said Mullins.

“All the rest I think will go to Leopardstown or wherever. Gaelic Warrior missed a bit of time, but he’s back again. He’ll go over two miles at Christmas and then the Dublin Racing Festival, I imagine.

“We could look at the Clarence House, Energumene has gone there before over two-one as right-handed at Ascot would suit him, but it’s more than likely we’ll go Leopardstown, Leopardstown, Champion Chase (at Cheltenham).”

Another towards the head of the King George betting was Il Etait Temps but he is set to miss the first half of the campaign.

“He was ready to run, I had him in the John Durkan but he got a little infection last week.” the trainer said.

“Infections can be so sore it can look like a fracture, I thought he’d broken a bone in a front leg, but it was an infection which had to be washed out.

“He’ll miss three weeks so he’ll miss Christmas, but hopefully be back for the Dublin Racing Festival. When I saw him in the yard last week, I thought he was out for the season but the vets have said it’s fine, it’s just an acute infection which should come right.”