‘Legend’ Faugheen puts Mullins in pole
Faugheen, a brilliant Champion Hurdler in 2015, rolled back the years and returned to his dominant best to run out a wide-margin winner of the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown last night.
One of the most popular hurdlers of recent times, he beat the winner of the Cheltenham equivalent, his stablemate Penhill, by 13 lengths. Combined with the 2-5 shot Footpad’s comfortable win in the Ryanair Novice Chase, the trainers’ title is almost assured for Willie Mullins, with Gordon Elliott needing to pull a rabbit out of a hat to beat him.
Last night, after saddling 12 winners for 12 different owners at the meeting, Mullins was €424,148 (£368,747) in front, with just today and tomorrow left of the season.
Until Faugheen’s victory it had been a quiet week at the end of a quiet season for owner Rich Ricci but the 10-year-old, ridden for the first time by David Mullins, stole five lengths at the start and got into a terrific rhythm. When Penhill closed in and joined him on the home bend, it was very soon obvious which was going the better.
“It’s emotional, I’m delighted,” said Ricci. “It’s been a tough season for him and us. It’s nice to get a change of luck. Willie rang during the week and said he wasn’t working very well and asked if he could run him over three rather than two. Cheltenham [sixth in the Champion Hurdle] was disappointing but this makes up for it. It’s a magic day.
“David said he’d ride him like he was the best horse in the race. He kept telling me he would ride me a big winner one day and he did it. Faugheen won a novice hurdle over three at Limerick all those years ago. At Cheltenham Ruby [Walsh] said he needs to go three – he still has the enthusiasm, he is just not as fast as he was.”
The jockey said: “He was dynamite. He heard a horse jumping the second on the second circuit and took off. He was a lot more in his comfort zone like he was over two miles in his prime. He’s one of the legends, and to put your name beside him on the card is something.”
Footpad, under Daryl Jacob, was electric at his fences, winning his fourth Grade One of the season, adding Punchestown’s Ryanair to Cheltenham’s Arkle. Clashes between him and Altior next season will be something to savour.
Elliott, who saddles the mighty Samcro along with The Game Changer in today’s Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle, reflected on Mullins’s six winners on Wednesday. “I just wanted to lie down and die!” he said. “It shows you what a tough competitor Willie is. We’ll struggle now. We’ll keep smiling and hope for a miracle.”