{"id":70607,"date":"2025-11-23T07:01:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T07:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?p=70607"},"modified":"2025-11-23T08:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T08:10:07","slug":"john-durkan-memorial-chase-betting-tips-punchestown-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/news\/john-durkan-memorial-chase-betting-tips-punchestown-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Willie Mullins To Fire In John Durkan Memorial Chase 1-2-3 At Punchestown"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a fantastic day of action on Saturday the top-class weekend action moves to Sunday, with a star-studded cast lining up for the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A race that features last year’s Gold Cup and Grand National winners Inothewayurthinkin and Nick Rockett, plus the 2024 hero Fact To File.<\/p>\n

Not to mention Aintree Bowl winner Gaelic Warrior, who slammed Saturday’s easy Betfair Chase winner Grey Dawning.<\/p>\n

Sportscasting’s Andy Newton gives you his John Durkan Memorial Chase tips and thoughts below.<\/p>\n

John Durkan Memorial Chase<\/strong> Tips: Take Warrior To Lead Home Mullins 1-2-3<\/h2>\n

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The 2024 John Durkan Memorial Chase winner Fact To File has been propping up the market for this top Grade One for months and it’s easy to see why.<\/p>\n

The JP McManus-owned eight year-old is the top-rated (173) in the line-up and is looking to be the first repeat winner since Min landed three on the spin between 2018 and 2020.<\/p>\n

Mark Walsh will also be getting off the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin to ride Fact To File – so it’s hard to put anyone off him.<\/p>\n

The Ryanair Chase in March will again be his big target again this season – where he’s already as short at 5\/2 for a repeat win.<\/p>\n

However, is he value here at 11\/8 – in a race that features so many other big names?<\/p>\n

These also include the 2023 winner Fastorslow, who after 364 days off and last seen running fourth in this race in 2024 – you feel he might just need this run.<\/p>\n

Especially his trainer Martin Brassil saying he’d be happy with a ‘top four’ finish.<\/p>\n

Gold Cup Hero Inothewayurthinkin Likely To Find Trip Too Sharp\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You also feel the trip (2m 3 1\/2f) will be a tad on the short side for Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin.<\/p>\n

Plus the Gavin Cromwell yard are just 1-49 at the moment.<\/p>\n

So that leaves us with GAELIC WARRIOR<\/strong> as the best alternatives over Fact To File.<\/p>\n

Also trained by Willie Mullins, who is looking for his ninth John Durkan win since 2015, this seven year-old is only rated 3lbs lower than Fact To File.<\/p>\n

He’s also got a similar profile to the favourite – with five chase wins from nine – and heads there off the back of two top wins last season at Aintree and Sandown.<\/p>\n

With the first of those a three-length slamming of Saturday’s Betfair Chase winner<\/a> Grey Dawning – form that looks rock solid after his facile success at Haydock.<\/p>\n

His form at Punchestown is also solid 1-1-2 and has gone well fresh and off a break in the past.<\/p>\n

Paul Townend rides too, as he looks for his third win in this Grade One chase.<\/p>\n

And at 100\/30 I just feel with not much between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File on their best form the Rich Ricci runner is surely the value.<\/p>\n

GW is taken to give Ricci his sixth win in the race with Djakadam(two) and Min (three) is other winners.<\/p>\n

Of the rest, other Mullins runner (he’s got seven in here) Lecky Watson, who took the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase last season, could have more to come.<\/p>\n

He’s taken to take bronze and give Mullins a famous 1-2-3 John Durkan – to fill all the podium places.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd47GAELIC WARRIOR
\n\ud83e\udd48FACT TO FILE\u00a0<\/b>
\n<\/b>\ud83e\udd49LECKY WATSON\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

WATCH: Gaelic Warrior Winning The Oaksey Chase at Sandown<\/strong><\/h3>\n