FAUGHEEN’S FANCIED ON HIS RETURN
Long absence to end in victory
OFF the track for 665 days, Faugheen will be expected to make a successful return to action in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle, the first Grade 1 hurdle of the new season, in Punchestown tomorrow.
Hailed after his 2015 Champion Hurdle victory as “the new Hurricane Fly”, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old hasn’t been seen since winning the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January of last year, when he slammed stable companions Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon in hugely impressive style.
Injury has interrupted Faugheen’s career – he was due to make his seasonal debut in January’s Irish Champion Hurdle, but was a late withdrawal having suffered a setback.
Winner of a point-to-point and a bumper, Faugheen has won 11 of his 12 starts over hurdles, including seven at Grade 1 level, a haul which has featured a Champion Hurdle, an Irish Champion Hurdle, two Punchestown Champion Hurdles and two Christmas Hurdles at Kempton.
His only defeat came, ironically, in the Morgiana two years ago when beaten a half-length by stable-companion and another multiple Grade 1 winner Nichols Canyon.
We have seen him only twice since then, when slamming The New One at Kempton and when producing arguably the best performance of his career in the Irish Champion.
All eyes will be on Faugheen and Ruby Walsh (who returns after a short absence at Punchestown today) in tomorrow’s feature.
Willie Mullins is sure to have him in good enough form to do himself justice and re-launch his exciting hurdling career. And it’ll be disappointing if he fails to deliver.
Just four will oppose Faugheen, including stable-companion
VROUM VROUM MAG, a versatile mare whose unbeaten record was ended by Apple’s Jade in the Hatton’s Grace last year, and Joe Murphy’s SWAM FOX, winner of the recent Naas November Handicap.
But the chief threat should be former champion JEZKI, successful on his seasonal bow at Tipperary last month and, like Gordon Elliott’s runner
CAMPEADOR bidding to give J P Mcmanus a first Morgiana success.
A couple of fascinating Grade 2 novice chases also feature on tomorrow’s card. And PRESENTING
PERCY, winner of the Pertemps at Cheltenham last March and impressive on his chasing debut at Galway, gets the nod to land the Florida Pearl Novice Chase.
Pat Kelly’s charge jumped for fun before beating De Plotting Shed in Galway and, with improvement expected, might have the edge over Gordon Elliott’s classy mare SHATTERED
LOVE, a good winner of her two chase starts, at Fairyhouse and Clonmel.