Faugheen

Form got a decent boost but Kempton race conditions in December differs to Cheltenham race conditions in March. Last horse to win at both meetings was Menorah. So Faugheen despite looking impressive and the form strengthening has a fair task on his hands to do the double.

@asparagus if Irving had won bookies would've cut him down to 16/1 or 14/1 with the reasons that he would've got second only few lengths behind Faugheen. At least thats what most of the so called `experts` said prior to the race, that on form Irving should've finished close second even though ALL handicappers had Purple Bay the 2nd rated horse coming into it on 160 official rating(they dropped him 1 pound after the race, don't ask me why..) Therefore the Kingwell did have a bearing because it proved that Irving even on form couldn't beat the 3rd on Christmas Hurdle which most people thought that would have been the case without being pulled up.

IrisDeBalme you say that NOW after the events took place, most poeple were saying Irving would've got close second behind Faugheen and if he had beaten Blue Heron the CH market for him would've crashed into 14s. It is a form boost for Purple Bay more than for Faugheen.

Maybe you got the Neptune year wrong as 3 proper horses from last year Neptune (Red Sherlock, Ballyalton, Rathvinden) haven't yet made the reappearances. If you read the trainers report they were destroyed by the hell Faugheen has put them through while they tried to keep up with his speed.

No, the form is not weak, especially with couple of group horses in behind over hurdles or chasers now. Its not just another Mullins horse. From a form perspective, Phil Smith head of BHA has come out yesterday on ATR and said Faugheen is the best hurdler around, Timeform envoys and their ratings classify Faugheen as the best hurdler around, so you're wrong again from a form perspective; even when he's facing a dual champion Fly which seems to be in the best form of his career, an unlucky TNO last year in the CH and the current champion Jezki who gives his best only at Chelt, Faugheen odds in the market are truly reflecting his chances of winning this year CH, not next year's when most likely he'll be sent chasing where he should've been this year if Mullins had a better hurdler in the yard.

Faugheens races have been micky mouse affairs.I find it amazing that people seem to think that Faugheen is going to win without coming off the bridle.The only worthwhile form has been Jezki running the invincible Fly close three times.

@Can't Catch Me, sometimes when I read opinions on Faugheen is like those bashing him have been away from racing since the last festival and now they're shocked to discover Faugheen's price so low, then they start looking through the form on superficial level without actually watching the races and seeing who he's beating, on what condition he was(on his seasonal debut for example he was 40 KG fatter than on Boxing day so he carried that day 90 pounds more and still beat Blue Fashion easily), the turn of foot he displayed(for example at Punchestown), etc. and then come on here or there and call him hype when in FACT everyone seriously involved in racing who's not been away from it in the last year knows that Faugheen, even though he still has to prove he's the best when he meets them, his form is rock solid and confirmed with all handicapers.

this isn't poker, this is investment, not going full bank, its more than money with these rare beasts..

...Faugheen's Kempton form was franked by Blue Heron...

what collateral form do you have that Faugheen will beat The New One...Jezki ... Hurricane... ah yes ... Blue Heron... puzzle solved! Yep horse is a machine.

Faugheen has so far beaten about 90 horses at trips from 2 to 3 miles of going ranging from heavy to good by a rough total of 80 lengths very easily indeed.

He has now won 3 grade 1's and a grade 2 and 3 and won at 2 championship festivals.

Faugheen has 9 times looked like a championship and form and times confirm this impression. The best and most experienced ratings agency has him top rated whilst predicting significant improvement still to come.

Sooner or later when something that looks like a duck, waddles, swims, quacks and tastes good with orange sauce, you are obliged to conclude that It is, in fact, a duck.

Only Cheltenham without key fallers or injuries will tell us but Faugheen, if not a champion, is doing a damned good impresssion of one.

Be a first if a duck won any race at the Festival, never mind the Champion Hurdle

Yep - you guys were right horse was a machine ...well done

Hometeam were disappointing.

Faugheen is doing this way earlier in his racing career than Istabraq  and Hurricane Fly too, both of whom had lots of runs on the flat before having at least 10 career starts over hurdles before winning the Champion.

Therefore he has so few miles on the clock, that his massive stride could take him to a 2nd and 3rd title, in the equivalent number of racecourse starts it Istabraq and Hurricane Fly had, before they won their first.

Champ Hdl normally a relentless pace start to finish and  any horse that can produce anything up the hill wins i.e. TNO...........Clever from Ruby to step it up when he did getting TNO off the bridle only to run on again far too late..........run at a slow time dident help a few...........I thought that hed try to burn em off hopeing that hed done that by the time of the hill..........falsely run race.......having said that........... it might well av won anyway..........G.L.