Reigning champion hurdler and previously unbeaten Faugheen suffered a shock reversal by stablemate Nichols Canyon in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Starting a 1/6 favourite, Faugheen tracked early leader Nichols Canyon and after the pair jumped the last he was unable to pass his stablemate who used his flat speed to assert his authority.
Faugheen was previously unbeaten however recent hurdling recruit Nichols Canyon has some smart form figures to his name. Winner of the Deloitte Novices’ Hurdle before finishing third at the Cheltenham Festival, the son Authorized also claimed the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree and followed up in the Punchestown equivalent.
Useful on the flat, the former Gosden-trained horse won at listed level and was five lengths off Leading Light at Royal Ascot before making the transition to hurdling.
Mullins did not expect that result: “That’s a surprise and a completely different outcome to when they worked on Tuesday when Faugheen ran away from Nichols Canyon.
“I did think Nichols Canyon might be in the Grade 1 mix this season, given his Flat rating and what he did last season
“We’ll see how Faugheen comes out of the race and, for now, I’m making no excuses. Ruby said he hung throughout the race and he just didn’t pick up the way he can.”
Faugheen still sit at the top of the betting for the Champion Hurdle, but Nichols Canyon offers Willie Mullins another bullet to fire at the Cheltenham prize – a race he has won three times.
The County Carlow handler is keen to keep these hurdling stars apart for the remainder of the season, with a return to Kempton on the cards for Faugheen in a bid to retain his Christmas Hurdle crown whilst Nichols Canyon will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of the great Hurricane Fly in contesting the Leopardstown Ryanair Hurdle – a race Mullins won four times with Hurricane Fly.
