One odds-on favourite obliged at Punchestown on Saturday while another one let the punters down. The performances of two Willie Mullins-trained horses have implications for ante-post betting for Grade 1 races at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Faugheen enhanced his prospects for the RSA Chase, but Klassical Dream did not deliver in a key prep-race for the Champion Hurdle.
Faugheen was given the title ‘The Machine' after impressive runs as a novice and a win in the 2015 Champion Hurdle. Klassical Dream was a leading contender for next year's race. Four months ahead of the 2020 Festival there are question marks over the horses' suitability for their chosen targets, even though Mullins is a past master at placing horses in races that they are most likely to win.
Faugheen made a winning debut over fences but is still classed as a novice. The horse is now aged 11 and that age group has a poor record in the two major novice chases at the Festival. The tables below illustrate the age range of winners in the Arkle Chase and RSA Chase, both of which are potential races for Faugheen in March.
Arkle Chase
| Age | Wins |
| 5 | 14 |
| 6 | 23 |
| 7 | 21 |
| 8 | 12 |
| 9 | 2 |
RSA Chase
| Age | Wins |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 14 |
| 7 | 38 |
| 8 | 16 |
| 9 | 3 |
| 10 | – |
| 11 | 1 |
The overall record for horses aged 11 in these two championships novice chases is one win in 147 races. Novice chasers are usually younger than Faugheen, but injuries have delayed his first race over fences. He initially jumped well at Punchestown, but an error at the seventh fence affected the horse's confidence. However, Faugheen has the class and pure ability to defy the trends for novice chasers at the jumps meeting that matters. Online bookmakers quote Faugheen at +1600 for the RSA Chase, but he is currently not quoted for the Arkle.
Laurina is the current ante-post favourite for that race, but the horse is still prominent in the betting for the Mares' Hurdle. She looked a world beater when winning the novice hurdle for females at the Festival last year. However, Laurina came up short in the Champion Hurdle and her immediate future could be over fences. She has the class and speed to win an Arkle but has not jumped a fence in public. Whatever route the horse takes, Mullins will probably keep her and Faugheen apart.
Klassical Dream has drifted to +600 to win the Champion Hurdle. The horse was vying for favouritism with Buveur D'Air, which won the race in 2017 and 2018 but fell behind Espoir D'Allen this March. Klassical Dream won the Supreme Novice's Hurdle over two miles at this year's Festival. The horse ran too keenly on Saturday and was beaten into third place by one and a half lengths by the winner, Saldier, and one length by second-placed Petit Mouchier in a significant trial for the Champion Hurdle. Saldier had produced the most significant line of form in the past.
Saldier was last seen when falling at the last in a hurdle race at Naas in November of last year. It was battling with Espoir D'Allen at the time and that horse is the defending champion hurdler which sadly won't be racing again. In theory, Saldier is now the best two mile hurdler in the UK and Ireland. He won Ireland's championship race for juveniles at Punchestown last year. Saldier is now proven at Grade 1 level and Saturday's win has prompted online bookies to quote the horse at +500 to win the 2020 Champion Hurdle.