King George betting heats up as rivals lead the market.

David Cummings / 9:43 AM GMT • 17th December, 2025

2 minutes

Ryanair Chase hero backed into the spotlight after thrilling Punchestown duel, with a festive Kempton showdown now firmly in focus

Fact To File has surged to the head of the King George VI Chase betting with several firms, overtaking stablemate Gaelic Warrior after a notable gamble gathered pace on Tuesday.

The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old, sensational when landing last season’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, was still trading at double-figure odds only a week ago. Fact To File was available at 10-1 as recently as last Thursday and could still be backed at 7-1 heading into this week, but sustained support has since forced a dramatic contraction, with the gelding now as short as 11-4 in places and even tighter elsewhere.

Tigerbet and Paddy Power go 15-8 about the Ryanair winner, pushing Gaelic Warrior out to around 9-4, despite the pair being closely matched on official ratings. Jango Baie also remains prominent in the market alongside them.

The renewed confidence stems largely from last month’s John Durkan at Punchestown, where Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File produced one of the performances of the season. Gaelic Warrior, ridden positively by Paul Townend, dictated matters from the front and looked set to assert when stretching clear turning for home. Fact To File, under Mark Walsh, was the only horse able to close the gap and briefly headed his stable companion approaching the final fence.

However, Gaelic Warrior showed real grit after the last, rallying strongly to regain the advantage and prevail by a neck in a thrilling finish. The pair pulled a remarkable 29 lengths clear of Fastorslow in third, underlining the depth of the form and marking them out as the clear standouts in the staying chase division at this stage of the season.

Willie Mullins has yet to confirm which of his leading contenders will line up at Kempton on Boxing Day, with final declarations not due until Saturday, and the field is expected to thin out at the confirmation stage.

Steve Gummer of TigerBet said the move for Fact To File reflected growing confidence that the Ryanair winner will take his chance.“Punters have really latched on to Fact To File over the past 48 hours,” Gummer said. 

Mullins is bidding to land the King George for a third time, having previously struck with Florida Pearl in 2001 and Tornado Flyer in 2021, and this year’s renewal could see him field one of his strongest teams yet.

Among the potential opposition are Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man and Djelo, while last season’s first and second, Banbridge and Il Est Francais, also remain in contention. With markets tightening and form lines converging, the 2025 King George is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in recent memory.