MULLINS BLOW AS FAUGHEEN FLOPS
LEADING Champion Hurdle contender Faugheen suffered a miserable defeat at Leopardstown yesterday, prompting most bookmakers to take him out of the Cheltenham Festival betting. Owner Rich Ricci was stunned as the 2-11 favourite for yesterday’s Ryanair Hurdle dropped through the field and was pulled up before the second-last flight. Faugheen’s abject display completed a miserable week for trainer Willie Mullins, whose 2017 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Nichols Canyon died after falling on Thursday, while Min, also owned by Ricci, was relegated from first place in the Grade One Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase on Tuesday because of interference. Ricci, whose crack chaser Douvan is injured, too, and was ruled out for the season earlier this month, said of Faugheen: ‘Paul Townend told me he pulled him up because he just wasn’t firing. He seems to be sound. When he cools down maybe we’ll find out something. ‘He went in the horse ambulance back to the yard, but he wasn’t distressed or anything. Paul just pulled him up because he wasn’t going anywhere. ‘When Cilaos Emery went by him, normally he would have picked up the bit and cracked on, but he just didn’t. I knew we were toast then. Some of Willie’s horses have been in and out all week. Hopefully it’s something that shows itself and we have a horse we can get ready for Cheltenham and fight another day. There doesn’t appear to be any injury, so that’s something anyway, but it’s very disappointing.’ Gordon Elliott-trained Mick Jazz took advantage of Faugheen’s flop in the hands of Davy Russell and edged out Cilaos Emery following a fierce battle from the final flight. There was some relief for the beleaguered Mullins when Let’s Dance took the Grade Three Mares’ Hurdle under Townend at Leopardstown, before Brave Saga produced a resolute galloping performance under Danny Mullins to lift the Grade Two Guinness Novice Hurdle at Limerick.