Fact To File makes the difference as Ten to Follow competition hots up

As predictable as a Willie Mullins-dominated Dublin Racing Festival was that the two-day meeting would transform the leaderboard for the Tote Ten to Follow competition and so it proved, with the previous incumbent of the number one spot, Irish Crystal 2, dropping to tenth place.

The new leader is 155 And Counting 2, whose team includes five of the weekend’s winners.

The most significant among those is not the pair who command mass support, Galopin Des Champs and State Man, but Fact To File, whose victory in a two-runner affair with Gaelic Warrior was cheered home by just 8.6% of players in the competition who picked up 26.70 points. Had stablemate Gaelic Warrior not fluffed his lines then 25.9% would have been punching the air.

It is a similar story with another on the leader’s list, Ballyburn, who is now hot property for the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival but was not such a compelling recruit when the competition launched in November. The 28.10 points he accrued in the Grade 1 novice hurdle on the meeting’s opening day went to just 11.1% of contestants.

Moving to the top of the list of equine points-scorers are the big two, Galopin Des Champs, whose 51.20 points for Irish Gold Cup success takes him on to 105.00 for the season and was cheered by 69.7% of entrants, while State Man’s Irish Champion Hurdle brought in 51.30 points for 50.7% of players.

New entrants to the top ten are Leopardstown handicap hurdle winner Maxxum, whose Tote return of €47.20 bumped up his points, while Punchestown winner Coko Beach collected 13.00 points and moves on to 59.80. 

Sneaking into the top ten is Bob Olinger, whose 12 points for second place to State Man ease him past Royale Pagaille and Readin Tommy Wrong on the list. 

Latest standings

LEADING HORSES
1 Galopin Des Champs 69.7% 105.00 points
2 State Man 50.7% 103.80
3 Jonbon 66.6% 74.05
4 Elixir De Nutz 0.1% 72.50
5 Datsalrightgino 0.3% 71.10
6 Hewick 0.4% 68.50
7 Nassalam 0.1% 63.50
8 Coko Beach 0.2% 59.80
9 Maxxum 0.2% 59.20
10 Bob Olinger 0.9% 58.20

LEADING TEAMS
1 155 and Counting 2 540.15 points
2 Golden Fleece 539.07
3 More letters than numbers 33 538.50
4 Pep7 530.74
5 Arkle 527.27
6 Trish knows best 7 524.47
7 AB41 522.65
7 Sir Ivor 522.65
9 Mystery Angel4 521.69
10 Irish Crystal 2 520.65

LEADER'S STABLE - 155 and Counting 2
Galopin Des Champs 105.00 points
State Man 103.80
Jonbon 74.05
El Fabiolo 49.50
Ballyburn 41.40
Fact To File 40.90
Gaelic Warrior 39.90
Found A Fifty 33.40
Constitution Hill 27.20
Pic D'Orhy 25.00

Read next: 

Find out the entries for Saturday's big races at Newbury with Shishkin potentially facing four rivals in the Denman Chase 

'It's as much fun as I've ever had on a racehorse' - impressive Coko Beach gives Jack Kennedy his first domestic century 

'Once-in-a-lifetime horse' and dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace dies aged 27 

Sign up to the Tote here. New customers online only. £/€10 minimum stake (if each-way then minimum £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place). Receive £/€30 Tote Credit within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Seven-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the betslip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.