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Anyone else think Faugheen is too short tomorrow? 5-1 on, against the current 2nd fav for the Champion Hurdle and the race-fit Wicklow Brave.
One to watch probably.
Strange how the staying chasers look very strong but everything else doesn’t seem to have any depth. Staying hurdles is always a bit tame being 4th tier stuff, but USD and Faugheen already look stitched on for March if turning up.
BUY THE SUN
Always got the impression Mullins never fully believed in Faugheen, while he invariably talks up Nich Canyon. If you fancy chancing an upset, P Power offer free bet to your losing stake if 2nd.
Faugheen has always surprised me; looking an embryo staying chaser, suddenly at Punchestown 2014 became an unstoppable 2 mile hurdler. I’d love to see him over fences, think he’d be even better, but Mullins/Ricci have so many options. Still, have half a suspicion there could be an upset tomorrow; Nichols Canyon last two grade 1s were really impressive, in any other year he’d be competing for CH favouritism
Going into the Festival as novices I would I have put my life on Faugheen going novice chasing and Vatour going down the Champion Hurdle route – especially given Faugheen’s last race was when winning at Limerick over 3m on heavy ground (a performance that screamed future Gold Cup winner). His follow up over 2m at Punchestown was to say the least an eye opener as I didn’t think a potential 3m chaser had that kind of basic speed.
Willie has been waxing lyrical about Vatour for a long time as his next big superstar and last year was a Hurricane Fly lovefest (to me the biggest no brainer of the whole of last year was Ruby riding Faugheen over The Fly in the Champion) so yes I think Faugheen has been totally overlooked but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Reports from the camp suggests that The Machine is ahead of schedule when compared to this time last year (and he was pretty awesome at Ascot especially if he needed the run) – his only dangers are his stablemates but you would have to question whether Nichols Canyon will be fit enough and also whether Wicklow Brave should be given a break after his flat exploits.
I am not sure there are any holes in Faugheen, he has won on ground ranging from good to heavy over trips from 2m to 3m, happy to make his own running or be held up if somebody else wants to go on – he would seriously have to under perform or fall (which he has never looked like doing) to get beat today and at 5-1 on it is as safe an odds on bet as you are likely to get this season.
The only negative thing I can think about him is that with The Fly now being retired we are unlikely to see him this side of the water until March.
Egg on face yet again – gotta love how great a leveller racing can be.
Nichols Canyon does not carry a lot of condition (being an ex flat horse) and looked ready to run today whereas I just hope Faugheen will be better for the run as there is a lot more substance to him when comparing the two. Wicklow Brave also run a great race considering his exploits on the flat.
I rarely listen to trainers, but Mullins is no big-mouth and has been championing NC for quite some time. 6s for the CH looks fair enough to me after that. Faugheen will come on, but so will the winner.
Sad to see my misgivings confirmed; of course even Istabraq was beaten in this race by Limestone Lad, and the proximity of Wicklow Brave might (just might) suggest that Faugheen under-performed. Interesting times ahead
Interesting to hear Mullins comments after the race:
The pair’s trainer Willie Mullins said: “That’s a surprise and a completely different outcome to when they worked on Tuesday when Faugheen ran away from Nichols Canyon. “We’ll see how Faugheen comes out of the race and, for now, I’m making no excuses. Ruby said he hung throughout the race and he just didn’t pick up the way he can.”
Even machines go wrong now and again but no harm no foul – you could actually argue that this is the first proper race he has ever had and the question now is do the faithful back him now that Paddy Power go 15-8 about him retaining his title?
Will be interesting to see where both horses go next, will they clash again or will one come over here for Fighting Fitth and/or the Christmas Hurdle………the jump season is up and running people.
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