Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FAUGHEEN LEADS IRISH CHALLENGE
FAUGHEEN, 2015 winner, will wear cheekpieces for the first time when he leads a four-strong challenge for Willie Mullins in tomorrow’s Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Ruby Walsh will be back on board Faugheen for the first time since he bolted-up in the 2016 Irish Champion Hurdle as the 10-year-old, bidding to become only the third horse to reclaim the Champion Hurdle crown, spearheads the Irish challenge against reigning champion and odds-on favourite Buveur D’air. Willie Mullins, who secured a spectacular five-timer at Gowran Park on Saturday, will also saddle Melon (Paul Townend) and Wicklow Brave (Patrick Mullins) while David Mullins will have the task of riding Yorkhill, which will be reverting to hurdling. Ireland’s other Champion Hurdles hopefuls, in a field of 13, will be Gordon Elliott’s Irish Champion Hurdle third Mick Jazz (Davy Russell) and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Identity Thief, which will be ridden by Sean Flanagan. Although no confirmation was forthcoming from Closutton yesterday, Douvan, off the track since flopping in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last year, might skip the two-mile championship on Wednesday and run, instead, in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. A final decision on Douvan’s target will be made by Mullins and owner Rich Ricci this morning, before the final declaration for the Champion Chase, in which Min is set to represent Mullins while Un De Sceaux remains favourite for his repeat bid in the Ryanair. A total of 30 Irishtrained horses will be in action in Cheltenham tomorrow, with Getabird (Supreme Novices), Footpad (Arkle) and Apple’s Jade (OLBG Mares Hurdle) all set to start short-priced favourites. Meanwhile, before Cheltenham kicks off at 1.30 tomorrow, Irish punters will hope to boost their Festival ‘tank’ by finding winners at today’s rescheduled Dundalk meeting. And the banker bet is Peter Fahey’s former Godolphin filly Wedding Photo in the Celebrate At Dundalk Stadium Maiden. This Lonhro filly, which ran once for Saeed bin Suroor in England, shaped like a certain future winner when third to Nivvo over this course and distance last month, form boosted when the winner followed-up on Friday to book her ticket to the All Weather Championships in Lingfield Park on Good Friday.