Faugheen a super super sub

Faugheen destroyed the opposition under Ruby Walsh in the Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Neptune hero from Cheltenham is now unbeaten after six racecourse starts and a point-to-point (for Andy Slattery).

Here, dropping in trip, he was backed as if defeat were out of the question, into two to one on.

The Mrs Susannah Ricci-owned Germany gelding made all, he went clear from after two out and stayed on strongly to dismiss his stable companion Valseur Lido by twelve lengths.

Winning trainer Willie Mullins explained: "Vautour failed a late fitness test so I popped this fellow in. Hopefully he'll (Vautour) run later in the week though.

"This fellow likes going on at his hurdles and I was happy enough that he could take Vautour's place. Vautour will have no problem going two and a half anyway.

"That was very good on fast ground considering he was running on heavy all winter. It was a fair performance against those sort of horses.

"We'll have to consider staying hurdling next season. We bought him as a chaser but it's no harm having another good hurdler.

"Certainly on that performance you'd have to be thinking about all that (a Champion Hurdle campaign).

"We'll have to evaluate what else is in the yard and what else the owner has but he certainly could be one to keep hurdling.

"I think this trip is good enough for him. The only reason he didn't run at two miles all winter is because we had enough two mile horses and we knew he would stay.

"If you said to me that he'd put up a performance like that I'd have said it would be tough be he did it well.

"I think Vautour would have done that and better though. This fellow was sloppy at one or two of them but Vautour wouldn't have done that – he'd have been over them and gone.

"It would certainly be a concern if the ground was to dry out for every good horse I have later in the week."

Meanwhile Ruby Walsh said: "John rides him the whole time at home and I said to him yesterday what about two miles and he said he's even better now and that he'd blow me away and he did.

"I was fairly adamant that the run at Cheltenham would improve him a hell of a lot jumping wise. He had very little experience going over, after winning three soft races, and he hadn't been tested.

"He jumped like a buck down the back. He got close to the second last but he was very quick. When I opened him up turning in – holy Gold – away with him.

"It was a fair gamble dropping him back to two but I'd say that has Willie scratching his head now.

"Patrick Mullins has been saying it always that he was as good a bumper horse as he ever rode and he's right. A P (McCoy, rider of Sgt Reckless third) said when we pulled up he's some novice and he is - he's a proper one.

"Willie was keen to go jumping fences and there'll be a debate as to what we're going to do with three or four of them but you'd have to think he's in the mix (for a Champion Hurdle campaign). (GC & EM)