I can see how Mullins obsession to win many races will send Djakadam to Ryanair.. but that obsession could have also left Arctic Fire for CH and brought Faugheen for JLT or RSA and in case he will not have had won the GC this season with Vautour then he had a backup plan for next season. If Vautour proves good enough to win the GC then Faugheen would've simply reversed to hurdles, if not Faugheen would've target the next season GC.

This way as a trainer he would've covered all the options and keeping Faugheen hurdling you won't be able to send him novice chasing next year as he'll be 8-9 yo and if you don't win the GC with the chase talent that you currently have then you'll never win it so having a backup plan in Faugheen made alot of sense and would provide the sport with great publicity outside the regular fans.

Anyways, Snowed In for the next at Sedgefield ?

I reckon Faugheen will sleep soundly tonight. The Wonder One still jumping to the right.

not sure he needs to improve anyway,looks a poor lot up against him this season.
Just hope the 4 year olds can step up,otherwise he wins any race they choose to enter him in.

Arguably maybe

But take the 4 year olds out though,and you are left with Arctic fire who has already proved inferior to faugheen,nichoolls canyon who would surprise me if he proved to be a top 2 miler and MTOY whose coming back from injury.
For me it's faugheen against the 4 year olds.

Well yes that's possible of course, but imo NC won't line up in the race looks a stayer to
Me, and quiet possibly a darn good one.
Then again if no 4 year olds step up,they may decide to monopolise the CHurdle.
God I really hope that's not the case,and PAC or any of the other 4year olds can prove top notch....ha him as well!!
Certainly won't be a better jumper of a hurdle than top
Notch,that I am pretty sure of.

Any news over Parlour Games? Champion Hurdle / World Hurdle?

On the bare form with Nichols Canyon he isn't too far away. Nichols saw him off quite comfortably at Aintree but that's at the end of a long hard season.

Don't think Parlour would be good enough to win a CH, but he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as NC, Hargam, Top Notch etc.

Cheers mate, didn't realise he was going chasing! Don't normally associate John Ferguson flat breds as chasers, only 13% of his runners last year were over the larger ones. I thought he'd have a shout at the World Hurdle, as not much to make up with Windsor Park.

Makes the novice chasing division a bit more interesting though. Some useful looking ones this year like him, Douvan, Un Temps Pour Tout, Shaneshill, Alvisio Ville, possibly Vyta du ROC etc.

Nicholls canyon needs riding just 9ff the pace and will 5ake a very good horse to get him of the bit. Pulls and too keen to be held up

Just the impression I got listening to Wylie. And when you think about it - why would you want to take on Faugheen? Place money? I think he would want to have Ruby ride ideally and it would only be an injury to Faugheen for that to happen wouldn't it?

It's good prize money for 2nd and you never know, faugheen could fall, get injured.
Barring that faugheen wins. But I genuinely believe nicholls canyon beats all bar faugheen. Fields likely to get cut up, and for me 20/1 is the best ew bet of the meeting. Shaneshill is wylie hopefully runner in the world hurdle. Even though I think he should go chasing

Faugheen 6/4 with sky bet price boost.
Suprisingly let me have 400 on.
Fair play sky bet.

This the one comparing the two photos of punchestown end of last season and last week? Caught it on Twitter. Definitely a big difference. They've thought they could get away with it and were caught out, will improve all year and win again in March.

I'm confused, are we saying he was as fat as a p1g, but a few days earlier had still managed to smash up NC on the gallops?

He didn't get beat through lack of fitness, he got beat because he bunny hopped the 2nd last as per usual....this time he paid for it.

Why would Mullins and Walsh lie? A horse in that physical shape takes longer to recover, the racecourse gallop didn't helped being so close to the race.

If an unfit horse with a  great big gut as well as being taken on by a stablemate who is a grade 1 winner = 1/6 I dread to think what he'll be when he's gone on a diet...have we ever had no offers in a CH...can't be any layers in the Mullins stable, that's for sure.

Devils advocate, that's all, but the leaner version sees him fully extended so would give a leaner look to it, plus, have we seen a before and after of NC too??

http://cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk/dynamic/59/photos/555000/620x/174555.jpg

That's him 1st time out last year in the Ascot Hurdle, doesn't he look woolly and fat...fookers even got stretch marks!!!

He's more extended in this picture too compared to the other day, if he was standing normally, he'd be tripping over that gut :-)

how about
(1) Walsh got away with setting fractions in the champion hurdle
(2) this is unlikely to reoccur next March
(3) tried something else not making all
(4) i presume this is how they worked at home
(5) didnt work
(6) back to using his stamins front next time

the horse was always considered a stayer and only after the switch to the 2m at the irish festival(due to vatour missing s days work) was he firmly the 2m from the yard. ridden more for speed .. now back to plan a
just a theory