Keith Melrose warns punters to avoid sentimentality with Faugheen

3.00 Leopardstown
Flogas Novice Chase | Grade 1 | 2m5f | 5yo+ | RTV/RTE1

The Flogas Novice Chase could boil down to one question: what did we see at Limerick on St Stephen's Day? Was it the glorious return of Faugheen, the greatest hurdler since Istabraq or was he just Toto, pulling back the curtain on Samcro's Wizard of Oz?

Inclination is towards the latter. Faugheen is 12. His finest hour was a 15-length demolition in the Irish Champion Hurdle four years ago and predates the Dublin Racing Festival's existence.

Punters should remove all considerations of sentimentality, and most of those concerning age. That means treating Faugheen as what he is, not what he was. Last spring he was third in the Stayers' Hurdle.

The year before his best effort came when winning the Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown. It has been two years since he ran to 160-plus over two miles. He is a classy staying hurdler and a latecomer to fences.

His main market rival is Battleoverdoyen, a strapping seven-year-old who could not jump a fence soon enough. He has made an impressive start, winning twice at a little further than this trip and once over three miles.

The last of those was a Grade 1 and they finished fast. Battleoverdoyen is a staying chaser in the making, but not a plodder yet.

Faugheen has more speed but not by much these days. Paul Townend will hope to get an easy lead and dictate a tactical race. Davy Russell would be advised not to let him get away with it because there may be no way back.

There is not much of an each-way angle in this seven-runner race. As well as the bald facts of place terms, the market principals are also the likeliest to contest the lead, meaning others may not get a look in.

Willie Mullins: 'Faugheen is very well and the trip and the ground should be fine'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Those looking for a longer-priced alternative may want to look past Easy Game to stablemates Tornado Flyer and Castlebawn West. The former has done well to get to the level he has at around two miles over fences having recorded his best form around this trip over hurdles. His poor run four weeks ago has been put down to a respiratory infection.

Castlebawn West ran out an easy winner at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day when beating Forza Milan, who has since got similarly close to Carefully Selected. Although he is a way off Faugheen and Battleoverdoyen's level, the scope is there to improve.

Keith Melrose

Mullins: Faugheen has been doing everything right

Faugheen will again attempt to defy advancing years when the 12-year-old former Champion Hurdler chases a second Grade 1 over fences in the Flogas Novice Chase.

A nine-time winner at the top level over hurdles, Faugheen won on his chase debut at Punchestown before slamming Samcro by ten lengths in a Grade 1 over 2m4f at Limerick's Christmas meeting.

Paul Townend, who rode the Willie Mulllins-trained veteran to win at Punchestown, is back on board, with Ireland's champion trainer also represented by Easy Game, Tornado Flyer and Castlebawn West, all of whom have won over fences.

Dual winner Tornado Flyer will attempt to bounce back from a poor effort at Naas where he was pulled up four weeks ago.

Mullins said: "Faugheen has been doing everything right at home since his impressive win at Limerick at Christmas. He's very well and the trip and the ground should be fine for him."

Battleoverdoyen: unbeaten in three starts over fencesCredit: Patrick McCann

Gordon Elliott, who has yet to train a winner of the Flogas, provides Faugheen's main market rival Battleoverdoyen, who is unbeaten in three starts over fences.

The seven-year-old got on the Grade 1 scoreboard when accounting for two rivals in the Neville Hotels Chase over three miles at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting.

Reporting by Tony O'Hehir

Key stat

Race favourite Faugheen will become the oldest winner of this event if he sees off his six rivals. Since it achieved Grade 1 status in 2002 only four horses older than nine have run in the race. One of those, Mossy Green, trained by Willie Mullins, was ten when he finished second in 2014.

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Faugheen, Castlebawn West, Easy Game and Tornado Flyer
Easy Game surprised me a bit when he beat Allaho over the course in December, but he has taken well to fences and that Christmas form puts him in with a good chance. Castlebawn West won well at Fairyhouse and deserves to take his chance, although this will be a much tougher assignment. Tornado Flyer was very disappointing at Naas last time after winning his first two races over fences. He seems in good form now and going up in trip should suit him.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Battleoverdoyen
We've always thought he would make a lovely chaser and he hasn't done a whole lot wrong so far. I liked the way he stuck his neck out and won over Christmas. Obviously this is a shorter trip but he's not slow. Everything has gone smoothly since Christmas and we're hoping for a big run but it won't be easy with Faugheen in there.

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Dommage Pour Toi and Myth Buster
Myth Buster ran very well when third behind Easy Game and Allaho at Christmas and I'm a bit surprised he's such a big price. He's in good form and we're hoping for a good run as we are with Dommage Pour Toi.

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