Faugheen the machine thrills on chase debut
FAUGHEEN survived a couple of jumping blunders to run out a convincing winner on his chasing bow at Punchestown.
The 2015 Champion Hurdle hero was making his first start over fences at the age of 11 in the Naas Oil Beginners Chase after an indifferent season over hurdles last term, but punters kept the faith with Willie Mullins’ runner and he was sent off the 8-11 favourite.
Paul Townend was happy to let Faugheen bowl along in front and everything appeared to be going swimmingly for the nine-times Grade One winner until he came to the eighth fence.
He met the obstacle all wrong, but Townend somehow managed to maintain the partnership and recover his lost irons in time to jump the next, but Lord Schnitzel had powered through to take control.
Faugheen then pecked on landing at the third-last fence and it looked as though he may have forfeited any chance of a win.
However, his class came to the fore and he cleared the final two fences without incident to win by an impressive seven and a half lengths. Walk Away was second, with Lord Schnitzel in third.
Faugheen was given an enthusiastic welcome, with racegoers at Cheltenham also cheering him home while watching on screens. Mullins said: ‘He was brilliant over the first half-dozen until he made that mistake – it was probably the first ditch that he’d seen!
‘Paul said he just put down and tried to do what he does over hurdles, which is gallop out through it. Now he realises that you can’t do that and by the time he got over the last two, Paul was very happy with him. He showed a nice turn of foot when he had to ask him to race going down to the last and after it. The engine certainly seemed to be there.
‘I’m happy that we got today out of the way and we’ll see how he comes out of this before deciding where we go next.’
Townend said: ‘He changed his mind a bit at the ditch and just went to bring it with him, as he could do over hurdles back in his day.
‘He was a bit careful over the next couple, but I couldn’t believe how he came back on the bridle so strong after he pecked at the back of the third last.’
Mullins also won a 10th Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown as Saldier emerged best of his three runners.
Stablemate Klassical Dream was the leading two-mile novice last term and after winning at Cheltenham and Punchestown in the spring, he was sent off the 2-5 favourite on
‘HIS NOSE WAS IN BITS BUT WE DECIDED NOT TO HAVE IT OPERATED
his return. In contrast, Saldier (7-1) was having his first run since he fell when seemingly travelling better than subsequent ill-fated Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen last November.
He suffered a broken nose and was given plenty of time to heal – making his return from 371 days on the sidelines here.
Everything seemed to be going to plan for Klassical Dream as he tracked Petit Mouchoir into the straight, with Saldier coming under pressure.
Yet, when Townend pressed the button on Klassical Dream, there was little response and Saldier swept by to win.
Petit Mouchoir battled back for second, with Klassical Dream a further length back in third. Mullins’ other runner, Sharjah, was fourth.
Mullins said: ‘We’ve always liked Saldier, but it was just whether he would come back from his injury.
‘His nose was in bits, but we decided not to have it operated and let nature take its course. We had the same trouble with Briar Hill, but operating on him didn’t work.
‘His run in the Fishery Lane (behind Espoir D’Allen) showed us he could be Grade One material.
‘He quickened up well at the last and won like a nice horse.
‘Klassical Dream threw himself at the first hurdle and then he was just too keen.
‘I think he’ll improve from that, and a stronger gallop will help them all too.
‘Patrick (Mullins) was never happy on Sharjah. I’d imagine he wanted the run badly and he’d want better ground.
‘It has been a lucky race for us, not always with the first string, but they are all there doing their best and that’s what happens.’