Faugheen faces make-or-break clash with Defi Du Seuil in Irish Champion

Willie Mullins will send Faugheen back to Leopardstown for a make-or-break test on Saturday, admitting he cannot be sure if the former colossus's Christmas flop was a one-off or the sign of a bigger problem.

And, while he has his own demons to lay to rest, Faugheen will also face a strong British contender in last year's impressive Triumph Hurdle winner Defi Du Seuil, who nevertheless will himself be out to atone for a rare lacklustre display.

Bookmakers on Monday expressed a collective lack of confidence in Faugheen, with Sky Bet and Paddy Power lengthening his odds for the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle from 10-11 to 6-4 and 11-8 respectively.

That change perhaps reflected Mullins' words during the race's official launch event, at which he pointed both Faugheen and Melon at the €150,000 feature.

However, he also expressed concern over whether the dual Cheltenham Festival hero can erase the memory of being pulled up when 2-11 favourite at Leopardstown on December 29.

Mullins said: "Until push comes to shove in the race we won't know whether it was a one-off or whether there is something deeper there that we have not discovered yet."

On a more positive note, the champion trainer added: "I'm very happy with him. He has one or two tests to pass before this weekend, but I'm very pleased at this stage and both Melon and Faugheen will run.

"Faugheen seems to be doing everything right since his run at Christmas. That was very disappointing, but at least he wasn't lame and there was no injury that would keep him out for the season. Whatever it was, I don't know but he seems to have left it behind."

Mullins again dismissed speculation that Faugheen might have been interfered with prior to his lacklustre showing in the Ryanair Hurdle. He said: "If someone is doing something the only way they can take advantage of it is to back the horse or back the other horses and there didn't seem to be any untoward shift in betting patterns, so we've dismissed that one."

Melon did little wrong when third to My Tent Or Yours in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December and Mullins feels he has earned his right to tackle the big boys at Leopardstown.

"He's is in good order," he said. "He deserves a crack at this race after his run at Cheltenham and has done everything right since then."

British raider Defi Du Seuil, last season's outstanding juvenile, has not run since disappointing on his comeback at Ascot in late November, after which trainer Philip Hobbs reported the JP McManus-owned star produced scopes that "weren't quite right".

Although Defi Du Seuil has also been entered in Sandown's Betfred Contenders Hurdle, that contest is likely to be used as the Cheltenham Festival springboard for McManus's red-hot Unibet Champion Hurdle favourite Buveur D'Air.

McManus's racing manager Frank Berry said: "The plan is for Defi Du Seuil to run at Leopardstown providing he scopes right. It will be good to get him back on track and to see where he slots in.

"Barry Geraghty will be riding Buveur D'Air at Sandown. It isn't yet written in stone who will be on Defi Du Seuil."

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