See also » Fact-To-File-gets-the-job-done-with-minimum-of-fuss
I think Mark did a great job to get him settled and I think he will learn a lot from that race, I’m just relieved. It’s all in front of him and when Willie decided to go straight chasing with him I had no objection, it sounded good to me. It has been vindicated. That was very impressive, it was a Gold Cup performance potentially, but he’s been like that since the day he came into the yard. I thought he’d win the Champion Bumper last year, then of course JP came and beat us with A Dream To Share, but that’s how good I thought he was. The fact that he was a ready-made steeplechaser from the first day he came into the yard is why I skipped hurdling with him and I’m very happy we did that now. I think JP had a nice little wager for the staff earlier in the season on this fellow for this race, so he more or less made the decision. He’s a beauty of a jumper and he gave Mark a tremendous ride, I’d say it was some thrill riding him round there. He’s just a real gentleman of a horse, that’s what he is. I’ve seen the potential. He’s like a child’s pony in the stable, he’s got the temperament for it. You know the plan (for next season), he could start off in the John Durkan, then run at Christmas, then the Dublin Racing Festival and back here. That’s the bones of the plan, but he has to stay right and JP might have other ideas, so I’ll have to have a chat with him about that. W P Mullins, trainer

Permission was given for Giovinco (IRE) to wear a red hood to the start.

Following the race, Harry Cobden reported that Stay Away Fay (IRE), which was pulled up, was never travelling; the Veterinary Officer reported that the gelding had lost its left-fore shoe.

The representative of Paul Nicholls further reported that Stay Away Fay (IRE) scoped dirty post-race.