Faugheen: the people's horse who could have been another Arkle

Faugheen makes no sense, so instead of trying to understand him let's just revel in the ridiculousness of it all.

The giant son of Germany has ripped up everything we thought we knew about racehorses. He has single-handedly shredded statistics that had stood for hundreds of years. Setbacks have simply spurred him on rather than held him back. Injuries that threatened to end his career have added to his longevity. Mistakes, like the shuddering one he made at the eighth fence on his chasing debut at Punchestown, are supposed to stop horses from winning, yet he ended up scoring by seven and a half lengths. Age is supposed to slow you down, but he sprinted clear of Samcro, four years his junior, to win his 11th Grade 1 at Limerick over Christmas.

Yes, nothing about Faugheen makes sense, so it would be perfectly fitting if he became the first 12-year-old in recent history to win a novice chase at the Cheltenham Festival next week. It would cap a career like no other. We have never seen the like of him before and might never again. He is utterly unique.