"Real deal" Faugheen new Champion Hurdle favourite after Morgiana masterclass
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
By Geoffrey Riddle
Faugheen shrugged off a 665-day absence to make all in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.
In the absence of the injured Ruby Walsh, Paul Townend took the Grade One contest by the scruff of the neck aboard Willie Mullins’ star hurdler.
The nine-year-old jumped smoothly in the main, and justified his price tag of 4-11 by thumping Champion Hurdler Jezki by 16 lengths with Swamp Fox back in third. Campeador, the only other runner due to the absence of Vroum Vroum Mag, fell at the last when tailed off.
Faugheen is now a best-priced 11-4 from 5-1 with Betfair to become the oldest winner of the Champion Hurdle since 11-year-old Sea Pigeon secured his third win at Cheltenham in 1981.
Townend could not hide the impression his mount had made on him.
"He was deadly, unbelievable - he looks as good as ever," he said.
No horse has won the Champion Hurdle aged in double figures since Sea Pigeon in 1981. (PA)
"I wanted to keep it simple, I thought I was on the best horse and the best way to get him beat was to complicate it. It worked out - he's a very, very good horse.
"He's the real deal."
Owner Rich Ricci is famous for not wanting to watch his horses during their races but the prominent American owner allowed himself a sneak peek as Faugheen cruised to the last. It was an error of judgement.
Faugheen had stretched clear of Jezki two furlongs out but on the back of his 665 days away from the track it was fair enough he was ring rusty and he scuffed the final obstacle.
"I watched the last, but I couldn’t watch anything else. His last was his worst jump ever," Ricci told At The Races.
"When they come back you are never quite sure and he looked a bit big in the ring.
"I didn’t sleep well on Friday night because I was so excited and then poor old Ruby yesterday. I feel so sorry for him because he has been an integral part of getting this horse back to where he is.
"He is a such a great man, and he’ll be fine, which is good, and him and John Codd who looks after him deserve a lot of credit.
"I did not sleep well last night because I was worrying about Ruby.
"We want to get back to Cheltenham. The Irish Champion is a wonderful race, if we had to miss Christmas and go for that, that would be fine.
"Being off fo so long I’d like to get a few more runs back in to him."
Mullins said: "It was very good. The horse did all the talking today. I've been talking up to now and you've all seen what I was saying.
"I don't know what I want to do now, I'm just happy to get today over with. We'll go home and hopefully he'll be all right in the morning.
"Paul was very happy with him. He said he moved up through the gears, he took a big jump at the last one down the back. He was all wrong, stood back, let fly and landed with his hind legs on top of it but it didn't take a thing out of him.
"He took a blow after the second-last, but as soon as he had that blow he motored on again. He said he had tons in the tank going down to the last and he was going too fast at the last and fiddled out over it.
"He did it well and he didn't win by just hanging on. He was having his first run of the year against three horses that are super-fit from running. He just jumped out and took the race from them.
"The race was set up for anyone of those, fit from summer racing. Discussing it with Ruby and Paul beforehand both of them felt the horse was good enough to do that and if he got tired or needed the race, so be it.
"We were going to go out and bring the race to them. We were hoping we had the class and he showed today he did."
He went on: "He was ready just after Punchestown (in the spring) so it's nice to get out on the track and let everyone see that we weren't talking absolute and utter rubbish! You get the feeling sometimes that people don't believe and that you are just saying things.
"That's the way he's been. He was like that last May and in early June he could have come and put in a performance better than that I'd say, as he was readier.
"We had to let him down and build him back up again. He's been very good at home and we haven't had any setbacks with him.
"Hopefully we won't after today. Hopefully he's fine in the morning, and over the next few days, and we'll just prepare him for his next run.
"I have no plans and I'm just happy to get past today. We'll go home and reflect on it and see what our best route is from here."
Frank Berry, racing manager to Jezki's owner JP McManus, said of the Jessica Harrington-trained nine-year-old: "The winner is just a different class and is a great horse, it's great to see him back.
"Our lad is in good form and ran well. We'll probably up him in trip at Christmas."
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