'I was mad to do it' - how daring David Mullins inspired Faugheen's renaissance

David Mullins has said he considers victory on Faugheen in the 2018 Champion Stayers Hurdle to be the greatest ride of his career – one he begged to be given even though staff at Closutton told him the horse was probably the yard's 'sixth string' in the race.

Mullins was speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper following his shock retirement from the saddle at the age of just 24.

As he looked back on his career, it was not the Grand National success of 2016 on Rule The World that stood out for him but the moment he inspired Faugheen's remarkable renaissance at the age of 11 with a piece of tactical brilliance.

2018 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle full result and race replay

"It was after he'd run badly in the Champion Hurdle," said Mullins. "He hadn't run over three miles since he was a novice, and everybody had forgotten about that. It was a proper race with proper horses in it.

"I went out to Willie [Mullins] when I was giving him the saddle and I said to him, 'I'm going to make the running on this lad'. Ruby [Walsh] was giving me a leg-up on to him and when I told him what I was going to do he gave me a look that said: your funeral."

Mullins hadn't even been chosen for the mount on Faugheen, who was one of seven runners in the race for the stable.

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He added: "The funny thing was, I was originally on Yorkhill, but I rang the office to try to swap myself on to Faugheen. I've only actually rang the office twice to try to swap rides. When I rang to ask they said, 'He's probably about sixth string'.

"The whole thing was all a bit mad. I was mad to pick Faugheen and not ride Yorkhill. I was mad to make the running. I did everything I probably shouldn't have done but it all worked out. It felt like we were only doing a half-speed the whole way around. I knew from the second-last that nothing was going to get near us."

Read more:

Grand National-winning rider David Mullins quits the saddle aged just 24

From Grand National glory to angering his uncle – David Mullins' top five rides

Confirmed runners and riders for Sunday's Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown

Read more from David Mullins in the Big Read, available to members from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Join Members' Club here.