'Electrifying' Faugheen wins Irish Champion

Faugheen cemented his position as the horse to beat for March's Champion Hurdle when brushing aside his principal rivals for that Cheltenham race, at Leopardstown today, producing arguably his best performance in wining the Grade 1 BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle.

Faugheen had been beaten by Nichols Canyon when the pair met in the Morgiana Hurdle in November but the reigning Champion Hurdler exacted his revenge in devastating style today.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, Faugheen flicked aside the challenge of Nichols Canyon today, travelling with a full-tank into the home straight as Nichols Canyon folded. Faugheen was well clear when 'fiddling' the final flight but in the end proved 15 lengths too strong for Arctic Fire with Nichols Canyon another 13 lengths behind in third.

Winning trainer Willie Mullins had been reaching for superlatives earlier in the day with Douvan s win, and following Faugheen's win stated “it was an electrifying performance, and I don't think I've ever seen him jump so well. He only fluffed the last but when he had to jump alongside Nichols Canyon he was hugely accurate and very good.

"They appeared to go a hell of a gallop all the way, and I couldn't ask for any more.

"Arctic Fire ran a cracker, and probably up to last year's form. Nichols Canyon I would imagine was feeling the effects of his last race and I hoped for a big more from him.

"The two horses (front runners Faugheen and Nichols Canyon) left themselves wide open, and Danny (Mullins) still hadn't gone for Arctic Fire coming to the last bend. But he (Faugheen) just opened up again and it was a proper Irish Champion Hurdle."

“He has a huge cruising speed and that was a fantastic performance and the handicapper has them assessed correctly.”

Faugheen was later cut to a best priced 2/5 shot (Betfair) for Champion Hurdle glory and is as short, with some bookmakers, as 1/4 for the Cheltenham race.

Mullins was completing a personal treble on the day and also a Grade 1 double while Walsh was himself registering a double having steered Mullins' Douvan earlier.

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee