"Fact To File Stands Tall as Gold Cup's Most Solid Bet" – Richard Johnson Backs Proven Star Over British Hopes

In an exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports, former Champion Jockey Richard Johnson singles out Fact To File as the most reliable contender for the Gold Cup , hailing the Cheltenham winner's proven high-level form and value over rising British stars like Jukebox Man and Jango Baie .

Johnson also warns against writing off Galopin Des Champs , praises the British resurgence, and eyes thrilling Trainer Championship battles between Mullins, Skelton, and Elliott.

Gold Cup

Fact To File Most Solid Horse For Gold Cup

It’s wide open. At the start of the season, if you'd put that betting there now, people would not have believed it with two British horses at the top of the betting. I think it shows it's a really open race. The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie are both very good horses, but I would still have Fact To File . He’s proven at a very high level already.

I think he is great value and he’s a Cheltenham winner already. I think the other two probably have to prove that they're going to do it at Cheltenham over the Gold Cup trip. For me, Fact to File is a more solid horse than perhaps the British ones.

Champion Chase

Majborough Move Depends On Jonbon

I almost feel that riding him forward in the Champion Chase would be the right place for him [ Majborough ]. Jonbon runs at Ascot on Saturday; he's obviously in the Ryanair as well.

Maybe if he was to really see out the trip well on Saturday at Ascot , the Ryanair would be the right race for him . Nicky Henderson is probably playing his cards close to his chest. You could easily see Majborough going one way and Jonbon the other.

Galopin Des Champs

You Can’t Rule Out Galopin Des Champs

You can't rule him out you do that definitely at your own peril. Maybe he's in the twilight rather than the prime of his career. Willie Mullins ' horses, obviously, he still has loads of winners, and he's still been winning the grade ones, but some of them might not have just shone at the Dublin Racing Festival , where another month on, they will. Willie trains his good horses with March and April in mind. Some people in Britain are getting very quick to think that we're going to turn the tables on the Irish, and that's not guaranteed by any means.

I think we're in a much better position than we have been for a long time. We've got some really nice young horses coming through all through the ranks, novice hurdlers, novice chasers, and the likes of Gold Cup hopefuls. But you wouldn't want to underestimate any of Willie's horses coming into March. He's definitely a trainer who, for me, has an eye on the main prize with those good horses. Very often, his horses seem to me to improve as the season goes on and peak at the right time.

Trainers Title

British Trainers’ Title: Mullins vs Skelton

I'm guessing they’ll make more of a plan on that with regard to England after Cheltenham . They’ll know where they [ Mullins ] are. Dan Skelton is quite a bit further clear than he was this time last year and has built himself up quite a nice cushion with regard to prize money as well. I would like Dan to get over the line. I think what he's achieved over the last two or three years with their quality and quantity has been incredible.

Everybody had to feel for him last year when Willie pipped him at the post. You have got to remember that Willie had the most amazing spring last year. He didn't just win the Grand National . He did have an unbelievable spring, not just a good one. To reproduce that is going to be hard, and he needs Dan to have a really moderate spring.

Elliott Comeback Amid Weaker Mullins Crop

Yes, definitely. He'd been playing it down with the Irish Trainers’ Championship , but he’s half a million euros in front, and he will throw everything at it to try and do it. I rode a lot of winners for Gordon , and he's a very good man.  He really knows what he is doing. He's very competitive, and he'll be giving it everything. But both he and Willie are both ultra- competitive people. They haven't got to where they are without being so. It's good for racing, whether it's in England or Ireland , see a close-run battle. Both have got lots of good horses to go to war with.

Gordon's going to bring a very good team over to Cheltenham , and I think because the English are stronger as well, it’s probably harder for Willie to be as dominant as he has been, I hope! So, then it makes it more wide open for everybody, especially if Gordon suddenly has six winners. Obviously, in the past few years, Willie has had nine, ten or eleven winners. It’s been unbelievable.

This year might not be quite as strong for him. In the novice hurdle section at the moment, for instance, it doesn't look quite as a whitewash as it has been when Willie seemed to have the first three in the betting in nearly every Novice Hurdle for the last two or three years.

This year we seem to have, or other trainers have, proper big chances. I'm sure it would mean everything for Gordon to win the title. He's done it the hard way. Willie's whole family were involved in racing for generations. Gordon has done it all himself and built a huge yard and team of horses to go to war with. For me, what he's already achieved is incredible. I'm hoping it's only a matter of time before he becomes Champion Trainer , and it will be well deserved when he gets there.

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