Henderson admits to Faugheen shock

Nicky Henderson has admitted he was shocked by how impressive Faugheen was in Sunday’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Willie Mullins-trained runner looked in great shape at the Irish track as he claimed the win on his seasonal debut and now finds himself as one of the firm favourites to reclaim Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham next March.

Henderson was impressed with Faugheen’s performance and has admitted he was taken aback by the display at Punchestown.

He said: “Watching Faugheen the other day was fairly scary, I must admit.

“I watched it with JP (McManus) and we just looked at each other. He (Faugheen) was frighteningly impressive.”