Dual Cheltenham Festival winner Faugheen is set for another campaign over fences this season, with connections believing the fire still burns brightly in the evergreen veteran.
The Willie Mullins trained 12-year-old is one of the most popular horses in training and landed the Ballymore in 2014 before capturing the Champion Hurdle a year later in spectacular fashion.
He was unbeaten in his first three starts over fences last season, winning at Punchestown in November before landing the Grade 1 Matchbook Novice Chase at Limerick over the Christmas period and following up in the Grade 1 Flogas Novice Chase over 2m 5f at Leopardstown.
Faugheen then went down all guns blazing when last seen in action and finishing a length third to Samcro in the Grade 1 Marsh Novices’ Chase at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Many thought that retirement beckoned for one of the most popular horses in training. Indeed, the Irish Horse Racing renamed the aforementioned contest at Limerick in honour of him.
However, Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, insists there is no sign that his powers are on the downslide judging on how he has been working at Closutton.
Speaking on a Horse Racing Ireland National Hunt season preview zoom press call, Mullins said:
“Faugheen is back in and 100 per cent. John Codd, who looks after him and rides him out, is absolutely over the moon with him.
“If he shows that he’s still got all the enthusiasm and ability that he had last year, we’ll probably go again, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t owe anyone anything.
“He won two Grade Ones last year and was placed in Cheltenham, and on another day he could have been closer. I look at his form rather than his age – and what he is showing us at home.”
Faugheen will need to step into open company over fences this season and Mullins said no firm plans had been made as regards long term targets at this stage.
He said: “I don’t know where Willie is going to go with him for his first run. Hopefully there’s a few extra second-season novice chases this year and one of those could be an option.
“The Gold Cup would be the dream – it would be incredible, but he could be a Ryanair Chase horse and there are plenty of good prizes out of Cheltenham as well.
“At the moment all options are open. John Codd knows him better than anyone and would be able to tell us straight away if he thinks the fire has gone, but at the moment it’s still burning very brightly.”
I personally can’t see Faugheen running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is currently a 50/1 shot with Unibet. The Ryanair would appear to be a far better option should all go to plan and he can be backed at 25/1 with William Hill for that.
Stable companion Al Boum Photo, who has won the last two running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the 5/1 favourite with Paddy Power for next year’s renewal, will follow a tried and trusted path back to the blue riband contest.
“I think you’ll see him at Tramore on New Year’s Day. It’s a plan that seems to work, we stumbled across it because of that very dry winter we got a couple of years ago,” said Mullins.
“He followed it again last year and it worked, so why not go again? I can’t see any reason why he can’t do it again with luck in running.”
As regards the 2m chasing scene, Chacun Pour Soi is the big hope for team Mullins. He was ruled out of the Queen Mother Champion Chase back in March at the 11th hour after getting a stone bruise.
Mullins said: “The way the Champion Chase worked out was disappointing as Altior didn’t run and Defi Du Seuil was disappointing on the day, so it looked like it was a nice opportunity.
“I’d imagine his season will be very similar to last year and we’ll try to get him back to Cheltenham for some unfinished business.
“He’s only run a handful of times over fences, but his jumping is fantastic and to me, he’s our best chance of winning a Champion Chase.”
Chacun Pour Soi is the 5/1 favourite with 888sport in the ante post betting for the 2021 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Mullins went on to say that Saint Roi “could be anything” as the this year’s County Hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival attempts to prove he is up to Champion Hurdle class at next year’s four-day spectacular.
The JP McManus-owned five-year-old gelding cruised home when landing a Grade 3 event at Tipperary recently and is a 10/1 shot with Paddy Power for Champion Hurdle glory having been initially offered at 25/1 after his success in the County.
“He’s not the biggest, but he’s a fantastic jumper usually, he works with a lot of speed, he’s won at the track, although the Champion Hurdle is on a different one to the County, but for me he ticks all the boxes. Until he says he’s not good enough we’re going to think he is, said Mullins.