Richards Unveils Champion Blueprints

Nicky Richards looks set to be double-handed in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 14.

The Greystoke trainer plans to saddle Faasel and grand old campaigner The French Furze in the blue riband event, with the latter acting as 'half a pacemaker' for his stablemate, who was runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle 12 months ago.

Both horses are in the ownership of Jim Ennis, and Richards explained: 'Hopefully Faasel will be running in the Champion Hurdle.

'He had a gallop at Musselburgh just so he could remember what it was like on some better ground.

'He hasn't been on it all year but he seems to have enjoyed himself.

'It's all systems go now and I think he'll run a very big race. Another summer won't do him any harm and 12 months down the line we could be going there with an even better chance.

'He won't have another race before Cheltenham. He'll go there fresh and well and I think he'll give a good account of himself on better ground.

'Tony (Dobbin) was pleased with him last time he ran, he's just not quite grown into himself yet so there is more to come. The Irish have some lovely hurdlers but what amazes me is they keep having real ding-dong battles and they keep coming back as good as ever.

'The French Furze will probably run in the Champion Hurdle as well if he runs at Cheltenham. He has been a great old servant and owes us nothing.

'We may just run him as half a pacemaker for Faasel. Last year Conor O'Dwyer (on Hardy Eustace) dictated the pace and rode a very good race so we might let him go alongside him for the first mile to make it more of a true test.

'It's an option we've got that we may use.'

? PA Sport