Savills Chase Tips: Fact To File can beat Galopin in a Leopardstown thriller

In one of the highest quality races of the Christmas period, the joint Cheltenham Gold Cup favourites Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File meet in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. Read our race preview and best bet for the race which is scheduled for 2:35pm on Saturday. 

Nine horses have been declared for this Grade 1 3 mile Savills Chase but two stand out head and shoulders above the others. And whilst the nine-runner field does make you feel as though you should be searching for a decent priced each-way bet to hit the frame, the feeling is that this one will be fought out by the front two in the market.

And what a front two! The 11/10 favourite is the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs. Last year he took this race by 23 lengths over Gerri Colombe and he looks sure to make a bold bid to follow up. Leopardstown obviously suits this horse down to the ground having won here on his last five visits. 

Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend he boasts all the credentials you could possibly want in a short priced favourite although has he met his match in stablemate FACT TO FILE?

Its perhaps surprising to note that Fact To File is just a year younger than Galopin Des Champs. At 8, Galopin Des Champs already has two Gold Cups to his name and nearly £750,000 in prize money. Seven year old Fact To File has had his own share of Cheltenham success having won the Brown Advisory Novices Chase earlier this year and having finished runner up in the Champion Bumper in 2023, but it is not quite of the same magnitude. 

But it was his reappearance win in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase that really cemented his position at racing's top table. Under Mark Walsh he travelled nicely and kept on well to the finish, beating Spillane's Tower into second and Galopin Des Champs into third. This win can be marked up as Fact To File was a big drifter in the market, indicating he may not have been fully tuned up.

It would be no surprise to see Galopin Des Champs avenge the defeat here at a track he loves and over a trip much better suited. But, at the prices, I'd prefer to be backing the Mullins second string at around the 15/8 mark than the favourite at 11/10.

Whoever wins will likely become the favourite for the Gold Cup in March. I was very confident it'd be one of the Mullins duo and even after his poor Friday and overall festive period, I'm happy to back the master of Closutton to scoop this pot. I am less confident on which one will come at victorious but I'd make it a match race so at the prices, I'm happy to side with the up-and-comer to repeat the feat of downing the reigning champ.