Faugheen fancied, but beware Hurricane Fly

OWNER Rich Ricci believes Faugheen represents his best chance of winning one of the championship events at the Cheltenham Festival ahead of his bid for glory in the Stan James Champion Hurdle today.
Willie Mullins points the way as he finalises preparations at Cheltenham. Picture: GettyWillie Mullins points the way as he finalises preparations at Cheltenham. Picture: Getty
Willie Mullins points the way as he finalises preparations at Cheltenham. Picture: Getty

Unbeaten in eight career starts, the seven-year-old will attempt to follow in the hoofprints of Istabraq and Hardy Eustace, both of whom won what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle before clinching gold in the two-mile hurdling championship.

While respectful of the opposition, Ricci is confident Willie Mullins’ hot favourite has what it takes to emerge triumphant. “He’s a funny horse in that he’s won over two miles, two and a half miles and three miles,” he said. “He’s not the best looking of horses and has an unusual pedigree, but he just seems to be able to do it.

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“He hasn’t faced anything like the calibre of horse he’s going to run against in the Champion Hurdle, and he’s too short (in the betting) for what he’s done, but he goes there with a big reputation and he’s unbeaten.”

Ricci rates last year’s winner Jezki the biggest threat to Faugheen, but is also wary of esteemed stable companion Hurricane Fly and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained The New One.

With Ruby Walsh nailing his colours to the Faugheen mast, Hurricane Fly will be partnered by Paul Townend for the first time since steering him to the first of his five Irish Champion Hurdle victories at Leopardstown in 2011.

With Champion Hurdle victories in 2011 and 2013 among a record 22 Grade One wins, the 11-year-old’s legendary status is already secured. Having beaten Jezki in all three of their clashes this season, Mullins would not be surprised to see the apple of his eye become the first horse in history to twice reclaim the crown. “To me, if Hurricane Fly was two years younger he’d be favourite, clear favourite,” said the Irish champion trainer. “He’s done everything that a clear favourite should be. It’s just his age, but it can be done at 11 and he’s got class.”

However, Jessica Harrington is confident Jezki is in at least as good a form as 12 months ago. The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old looked capable of becoming the new dominant force in the division after following up last year’s triumph by beating Hurricane Fly once more at Punchestown, but he has found Mullins’ brilliant hurdler too strong on each of their three meetings this season.

“He’s been beaten three times by Hurricane Fly this season,” he said. “He’s a hard horse to beat in his own country. . Maybe we’re not as good as we think we are, but I still think we’re good. It will be a good race. I think it’s very competitive this year.”

The chief hope for the ‘home’ team is undoubtedly The New One, who left connections wondering what might have been after he was almost brought down by the fatally-injured Our Conor in last year’s renewal before flying up the famous hill to finish third. The seven-year-old is unbeaten in five starts since then, and though he was far from impressive on his latest start at Haydock, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies believes his charge has what it takes to beat the raiding party.

He said: “The New One has done brilliantly this season. He and Faugheen haven’t been racing against championship horses, they have been beating also-rans very well – the one who sticks out is Hurricane Fly who has beaten good ones. Faugheen has done brilliantly but we can do as good. I think they should be joint-favourites.”

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Mullins is in bullish mood too over the chances of Douvan, who will bid to get the four-day Festival off to a perfect start for the Irish in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The normally cautious Mullins has been unable to hide his excitement about a performer he hails “as nice a horse as we’ve had ever going to Cheltenham”, some praise from a man who is the Festival’s winning-most Irish trainer of all time with 33 victories.

Mullins said: “Douvan looks the part. He does everything so naturally at home and on the racecourse when we have run him, so fingers crossed he can do it in Cheltenham as well.”

Prior to the Champion Hurdle, another Mullins star, Un De Sceaux, will attempt to live up to his billing as the most exciting novice chaser around when he lines up for the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy.

The seven-year-old loves to bowl along in front and run his rivals into the ground. He overcame a blip when he came down on his fencing debut, when well clear at Thurles in November, to win in good style at Fairyhouse.

Un De Sceaux then took the Grade One Irish equivalent of the Arkle at Leopardstown and Mullins is already seeing him as a future Queen Mother Champion Chase contender.

“He’s the type of chaser you love to train – the really fast two-miler that will maybe make into a champion chaser some day,” said the County Carlow handler. “Horses that just come down and take a fence, whatever way they meet it, are exciting to watch. His style of racing makes the whole thing very heart-stopping, but that’s the way it is. He’s an extraordinarily short price, but the punters and the bookmakers have all decided if he stands up he wins. I’m happy to go along with that!”

Sticking with Mullins, Annie Power will bid to emulate record-breaking former stablemate Quevega when she makes a belated return to action in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.

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Quevega galloped into retirement when making history with a sixth successive victory for the Mullins team in the Grade One over a two and a half miles last March.

She will be a virtually impossible task to follow, but Annie Power is extremely talented and although she has been sidelined since winning at Punchestown in early May, Mullins reports her in tip-top shape ahead of her comeback.