Mullins hits out at ground conditions at the Cheltenham Festival after pulling Fact To File out of Ryanair Chase

Willie Mullins said more should have been done to ensure better National Hunt racing ground after he made the late decision to pull Fact To File out of the Ryanair Chase.

After seeing Bambino Fever struggle on the quick ground earlier in the day, Mullins reluctantly made the decision and said that there should have been more watering on the track.

“We walked the track - JP [McManus] walked the track and I happened to walk it coming across the track from exercising horses and looking at Bambino Fever - and I thought wow, this ground will be too good for her," said Mullins, when

talking to Racing TV.

"And sure enough, in the first race she wasn't able to act on it. Talking to JP, these horses are too difficult to acquire and get as you’ll see at the sales after racing and when you have them, you mind them.

"We waited and waited all day for the rain that was half-promised, it hasn't come so we made the decision not to run.

"These horses are too hard to find, too hard to get. In jump racing we want to have soft in the description of the ground. Good ground we think is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race and have the top horses at the best festival. If the ground is going to be like this then we are not going to bring them.

"We were promised watering and I am not sure the watering we were promised was done, so I'm a little bit annoyed at that. I know the weather forecast hasn't been kind but very few people complain about too much rain and a bit of watering, but this isn't good for the type of horse we are bringing over here.

"I know it suits some horses but for the majority of the good, big, National Hunt horses, we would like it a little softer anyway."