I just think he's running style is very much with the choke out and he does everything easily. Has a fantastic cruising speed. Thats all. I think Briar Hill would be a better 3 miler cos he looks a out and out stayer and a grinder to me, but that is apparently just down to wanting him in the race for the sake of my bet on Kings Palace, then I get the old "Did you watch the race" Chestnut. So that'll do me, thanks for the chat it s been interesting. Remember people a difference of opinion is allowed hence why the different prices on horses

Briar Hill looks like he wants 5 miles never mind 3...beat Azorian 4 lengths who was just the 37 lengths behind Faugheen

Think he was being sarcastic, Ballydoyle.

This seems to of been one of Willie's simpler conundrums in his placing of superstars. He rates them as probably his best two novices so wants to keep them apart and sees them both as potential stayers so the Supreme is out of the question leaving him to decide which goes for the Neptune and which the AB. Faugheen is a powerful cruiser who has speed and uses a lot of energy through his races. A fast paced race would be ideal for him in theory. Briar Hill is the opposite, a horse who keeps everything back for himself and only does enough. He would not be inconvenienced by wasting energy if they went steady in a 3 mile race.
Regarding the campaigning that is a bit more cryptic and hard to explain. My best guess, based on what he said at the time, was that the race over 3 mile was a chance to try to teach Faugheen to settle in the early part of a race. Indication is that the lesson wasn't 100% successful. I don't see any problem in stepping up Briar Hill to 3 miles for the first time here. Many of the past winners of this prepped over 2.5 miles.

Nine is quite a long way from being a satisfactory sample size but if you want to go down that road what percentage of the runners were trying 3 miles for the first time?

@forty, the 20L win might be asking too much but the feel I got from watching the previous race on video a number of times was very similar to you, could see a few small mistakes not making much difference as he gradually gallops everything else into submission. It might be that the way to play is too back him again if he makes a few small jumping errors but travels well in the race.  I know the bumper form is just that ... a bumper but Faugheen destruction of Josses hill suggests how good he might be.

harry callaghan 24 Feb 14 22:19 Joined: 10 Nov 07 | Topic/replies: 2,504 | Blogger: harry callaghan's blog
everyone entitled to there opinion but lets not turn this to sound like people are getting at you sj

you said he was at the end of his tether in his last race, which he clearly wasn't and that has nothing to do with anyone else, it is just that people didn't agree with you and questioned your judgment on the said race

i was just asking why this was, when he won hard on the snaffle in that race, nothing to do with your bets

i know that is an easy one to use now to save face, but you also ramped faugheen for the neptune on the faugheen thread because you know it affects your bet in the albert bartlett and nothing to do with you backing faugheen for the neptune because you haven't... we all know that briars hill is the easier opponent or at least i do


No they didnt. I suggest you're suffering from memory loss. Go back through the thread, I said I think Briar Hill is all stamina and a out and out 3 miler, YOU put that down to me backing Kings Palace. Nothing else.
I said it looked like Faugheen was coming to the end of his tether over 3 cos the way he runs with the choke out once again we had the smary angle if Id even watched the race. I liken him to Cue Card in the KG as in still going well and not looking like stopping but ultimately the way he runs if a decent stayer would of be up against Faugheen I dont think he would of found a lot. That's all.

06 Dec 13 / 17:16    Single (EW)    1         12th Mar 2014 - Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle  –  Outright     Faugheen @ 14/1    –    £100.00    O/1754032/0000387/F
17 Nov 13 / 13:08    Single (EW)    1         12th Mar 2014 - Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle  –  Outright     Faugheen @ 16/1    –    £100.00    O/1754032/0000385/F


Yeah I have backed Faugheen with hills. I'm sure with me not even "watching races"  myRamping will work wonders pal

Lets flip this on its head Harry you only want Faugheen in the 3 miler cos you want to back him V Kings Palace

faugheen runs in and wins the Neptune, it really is that simple folks

briar hill would beat faugheen and kings palace,best horse in mullins yard !

I would have thought the opposite

why do you say that?? faugheen wants better ground not sure briar hill does

clearly sj - as does, your good self

fair comments slabster...

however briar hill is a shantou and moves with a very rounded action...faugheen is far more fluent imo and would love good ground, more so than briar hill who is untried over 3 miles also but on soft in the neptune will be ideal...also it comes back to the opening post and faugheens preparation and we know he will stay well, briar hill an unknown but promises too

maybe i'm just reading this wrong but really want to see faugheen in the albert bartlett and the neptune is the weaker race and would give briar hill his best opportunity of getting his head in front

got a couple up me sleeve for the albert but want to back faugheen as not keen on briar hill and race will not be good for me if he wins

Briar Hill is a lazy horse. Much like Boston Bob. Interesting fact about Boston Bob is despite everyone having him down as an out and out stayer all of his form is over 2 1/2 miles really. I just wonder if their running style makes them seem slower than they are. Not saying that they don't/won't get 3 miles but I'm not sure they need that trip to be seen at their best. You can't win a champion bumper without pace. I wonder if Willie has ever thought about blinkers?

Didn't it used to be quite common for bumper winners to turn into stayers, even if the recent trend tends to be for them to go down the Supereme route?

Faugheen in Neptune
Briar in AB

its done and dusted

briar hill will win the gold cup in 2 years time,before that it will win the ab then the sun alliance next year,best horse in the yard !

Faugheen is willie mullins future gold cup horse

He said as far as he is aware Faugheen is in good form. That was about it, I think.

the stable has always known what races they were going for ,i put a win trixie on for them last december , vatour , faugheen and briar hill ,10's 8's and 10's , think there all around 3's now

yes good news...taking up plenty of the market now