Irish Champion Hurdle: Nichols Canyon value to beat Faugheen again

David Metcalf | January 20, 2016

Faugheen is firmly odds-on at 1/3 with Coral to gain his revenge on stable companion Nichols Canyon and land the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, January 24th.

The Willie Mullins trained gelding, an impressive winner of last year’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, tasted defeat for the first time when beaten 1/2 a length by Nichols Canyon on his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November.

More than just a blip in Faugheen’s form?

Connections were left baffled by the performance of the massive 1/6 favourite, but Faugheen has since gone on to land the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in facile fashion.

The eight-year-old looked back to his imperious best when cruising home seven lengths clear of The New One, and is currently 4/7 with Coral to retain his Champion Hurdle crown in March.

However, what Faugheen beat in the Christmas Hurdle is highly questionable and he will need to be winning this in impressive fashion to justify his cramped odds at the head of the ante post market.

Nichols Canyon value to repeat Punchestown triumph