Jane Mangan backs Fact To File for Cheltenham Gold Cup success

February 4, 2026

Jane Mangan is backing Fact To File for Cheltenham Gold Cup success after his win at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The nine-year-old ran away arguably the most impressive winner across the two days at Leopardstown, easily landing the Irish Gold Cup and seeing his price shorten to a general 4/1 for the Cheltenham renewal.

One of four Grade 1 triumphs at the meeting for JP McManus’ retained jockey Mark Walsh, it was nothing short of a dream few days for the Kildare pilot who is set to relinquish his position to Harry Cobden at the end of the season.

Fact To File made no mistake in bouncing back from an underwhelming effort in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas and the son of Poliglote dismissed any previous notions that he didn’t stay the gruelling three-mile trip.

Mangan, a former jockey turned racing broadcaster for RTE and Racing TV, revealed she now believes the gelding has what it takes to capture the Cheltenham showpiece next month.

“It was a proper race, probably the best we’ll see run in Ireland this year. Fact To File has always threatened to have the X factor and today is probably the first time where I’ve believed he could win a Gold Cup.”

✊ BACK WITH A BANG ✊

bounces right back to his best in the Irish Gold Cup.@paddypower | #DRF ⬜️ pic.twitter.com/XRRAE3SGsu

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 2, 2026

Fact To File Cheltenham record will delight Gold Cup backers

Prestbury Park has been a happy hunting ground for Fact To File in recent years, winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase in 2024 before putting in a monstrous performance a year later to take the Ryanair Chase by nine lengths without coming out of second gear.

Stamina has always been a huge question mark lingering over his Gold Cup prospects, failing to lay a glove on Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup last season that led plenty to believe his future lied over intermediate trips.

However he seems to be entering the prime of his career now and that added maturity has done the world of good and more. He doesn’t currently hold an entry in the Gold Cup and will need to be supplemented at a cost of £25,000, just as Inothewayurthinkin was for the same connections in 2025.

There was concern that a hard race when narrowly beaten by Gaelic Warrior in the John Durkan Chase on reappearance in November could have bottomed him out for the rest of the campaign but Fact To File has laughed in the face of adversity.

It looks a foregone conclusion that he’ll run in the Friday feature at the Festival despite also remaining the favourite for the Ryanair Chase and considering how the pair’s seasons have unfolded so far, Walsh will have no problem choosing his services over the defending champion.

Fact To File will need to stay an extra two furlongs to see out the daunting Gold Cup trip but considering how well he hit the line earlier this week, he’ll be fancied to do just that.