YOU’D forgive the racing public for treating this week’s news of Faugheen’s planned Morgiana Hurdle return with a little trepidation. We were briefed of a comeback before, at least a couple of times last season, but nothing materialised. It’s not to question the validity of the claim coming out of Closutton but to acknowledge Faugheen’s fragile physique, that has harshly only allowed him one go at a Champion Hurdle.

The now nine-year-old duly took his opportunity when given it and when we last saw him, in January 2016, he was at his very best in the Irish Champion Hurdle, trouncing stablemates Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon, by 15 and 13 lengths respectively, which led the assessor to allot a rating of 176.

Things have changed since then and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. But is Faugheen returning to a deeper division with a better calibre of two-mile hurdlers or is the level of opposition weaker?

It’s difficult to say as the current two-mile hurdle picture is a murky one. The current champion Buveur D’Air, is there but there are lots of question marks in behind him with the likes of Defi Du Seuil, Melon and Neon Wolf all yet to be committed to a hurdles campaign and/or need to prove themselves in open company.

The main question Faugheen will have to answer is about his own wellbeing. He has to come back first and then he has to try to come back to his best, or somewhere near it. He’ll be a 10-year-old by the time March comes around and horses of that age have a poor record in the Champion Hurdle. But Faugheen has only run 12 times over hurdles so in that respect, he is no typical 10-year-old.

Back to his best he is the horse to beat in any two-mile hurdle race this season. Touch wood everything goes to plan and, if so, roll on the Morgiana Hurdle in November.