Heart Wood received the Ryanair Chase in convincing fashion on the Cheltenham Festival after favorite Fact To File was pulled out of the race owing to quick floor.
The Irish Gold Cup winner, who at one stage was the antepost favorite for Friday’s Gold Cup, was withdrawn after coach Mullins and proprietor JP McManus walked the course and concluded there was not sufficient give within the turf.
There has been sturdy criticism of the begins in big-field races at this week’s Festival, and Mullins has now turned his ire on the bottom circumstances.
Mullins stated: “We were promised watering and I’m not sure the watering we were promised has been done. I’m a little bit annoyed about that and I thought there would be more watering done.
“I know the weather forecast hasn’t been kind, but very few people complain about a bit of watering and then too much rain.
“This isn’t good for the type of horses we are bringing over here and I know it suits some horses but for the majority of the good, big, National Hunt horses we would like it a little softer.”
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, Heart Wood went off at 9/2 and was bidding to go one higher than his second in final yr’s Ryanair.
The eight-year-old at all times appeared snug and drew degree with JPR One, who made the operating, on the flip for dwelling earlier than pulling clear up the hill to register a 10-length victory over the two/1 favorite Jonbon, who completed second in a race on the Festival for a fourth time.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2026/03/12/cheltenham-festival-2026-live-latest-updates-ryanair-chase/