LADBROKES CHAMPION

STAYERS HURDLE

(GRADE 1)

FAUGHEEN’s season concluded as it began, with the 10-year-old running out an utterly dominant wide-margin winner of a Punchestown Grade 1, but it is what spanned the time between those two victories which made this success all the more remarkable.

After his comeback victory in the Morgiana Hurdle the former Champion Hurdle hero suffered three defeats and his most recent sixth to Buveur D’Air at Cheltenham suggested that the sun had set on his time as a top two-mile hurdler.

However, there was always a chance that the Susannah Ricci-owned gelding could find redemption at three miles and his first try at this distance since December 2013 enabled him to roll back the years in some style.

In leading home a Willie Mullins one-two-three, which looks to have sealed the trainer’s championship, Faugheen showed much of his old dash. A recent lacklustre piece of work at home may have had connections wondering what the future held for this outstanding hurdler but he showed here that the ability that carried him to some many memorable victories over two miles still burns brightly.

A second Grade 1 winner in as many days for David Mullins, Faugheen was one of seven runners in the race for his trainer who made the meeting’s feature races his own over the first three days.

In Penhill and Bacardys Willie Mullins fielded two especially strong contenders but if Faugheen somehow returned to his best he was going to be very dangerous and he was simply in a league of his own.

The 11/2 shot jumped off with alacrity and this set the tone for what was to follow.

BRISK TEMPO

Faugheen may have been granted an easy lead but even so he ensured a brisk tempo which meant that the field was well strung from very early on. For a good deal of the race he was chased by the English mare Le Bague Au Roi and the runners tighten up somewhat after the fourth last but this was as close as most of Faugheen’s rivals ever got.

Fresh from his Cheltenham heroics, Penhill loomed up nearing the straight and there was a moment when it looked as if he might provide the leader with a stern examination.

Just as he has done so many times in the past though, Faugheen found another gear on the run to the last and he went further and further clear to finish some 13 lengths clear of Penhill. Shaneshill ran a splendid race to take third with Identity Thief securing fourth after his Aintree heroics.

“He worked at home the other day and I don’t know how slow he came up. Myself and Ruby turned away, looked at each and thought well we’ll run him anyway,” said Mullins. “We said we’d run him here as he likes this track and we were hoping that Punchestown, the sun on his back and the crowd might light him up.

“He’s fooled me this season. There’s a few times that he has worked well and then come out and run badly but David said he loved it today. He maybe got a few things his own way today which mightn’t happen in future but even so he showed that he’s still got the engine and he still has the heart.

“Maybe he was just fed up going the gallop he had to at two miles and this trip suited him better.”

In terms of the future plans for Faugheen remain fluid, according to Mullins: “Maybe we’ll stick to three miles hurdling but that’s a tough division too and there is always the option of going novice chasing next season. We’ll just have to sit down and see.”

Meanwhile, a thrilled David Mullins remarked: “I felt like I was only doing a hack canter the whole way. I’d say that you could say that he’s back to his best. I heard a clatter of a hurdle with about six to jump but apart from that I never heard another thing and he’s won very well.”

MOMENT OF THE DAY

Faugheen resurrected his season in spectacular fashion in the day’s feature. The brilliance and enthusiasm that were the hallmarks of his stellar career were once again in evidence as he revelled in a return to three miles.