Sunday Irish Preview: Irish Champion Hurdle Day

More British-centred racing fans could be forgiven for thinking that this weekend is all about Cheltenham’s bumper nine-race Festival Trials Day card on Saturday. However, the two Grade 1 contests on Sunday at Leopardstown will have just as much bearing – if not more – on the Cheltenham Festival, especially considering that the 2015 Champion Hurdler Faugheen is making his much anticipated return from injury in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Faugheen was last seen in this race last year, beating stablemate Arctic Fire by 15 lengths and putting up his best performance on Timeform ratings. He is around 12 lb clear of his nearest rival on weight-adjusted ratings and should be very hard to beat even if he is only somewhere near his best. Faugheen’s biggest rival could be Petit Mouchoir, who gained quick compensation for his mishap in the Fighting Fifth when winning the Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas by seven lengths from Nichols Canyon. Petit Mouchoir is clearly an improving horse and could yet have more to offer, though it must be noted that Nichols Canyon was below his best, having jumped out to his right, notably so at the last two flights.

The other Grade 1 on the card – the Irish Arkle – made headlines at the final declaration stage due to the absence of Min, who has reportedly picked up slight knock to his knee. Mullins has a good record in the race – he saddled Un de Sceaux and Douvan to win the last two runnings – however, and still provides half of the four runners. Grade 1-winning hurdler Bleu Et Rouge looks Mullins’ main hope on ratings, though he gave his supporters a few scares on his chasing debut at the track in December and will have to improve in that department if he is to be competitive in this much better race. Identity Thief also scored at the highest level over the smaller obstacles, and he would come here with a big chance if fully recovered from his outing in the Racing Post Novices’ Chase (against Min) on Boxing Day, where he was found to be lame after pulling up. It’s also hard to rule out Some Plan, who represents a red-hot yard and who scored with a polished performance at Naas last time.

The other graded race on the card is a Grade 2 hurdle race over two and a half miles, won by the likes of Hidden Cyclone, Boston Bob, Pont Alexandre and Outlander in the past and by Willie Mullins for the last five consecutive years. It is no surprise to see Mullins well represented again, and Ruby Walsh – given the choice of three unexposed entrants from the yard – opts to ride Let’s Dance, who landed her hat-trick last time with the minimum of fuss at Leopardstown in a Grade 3 mares’ hurdle. She has form with more substance than that 17-length demolition, too, given that she was second to Apple’s Jade in a Grade 1 juvenile at Punchestown last season, and she should have a good chance of giving Mullins another win in the race. Henry de Bromhead’s pair of Peace News – who was running well when falling two out in the Royal Bond on his penultimate start – and Monalee, who was second to Death Duty at Navan last time – could prove her biggest dangers.