Faugheen still on course for BHP Irish Champ Rich Ricci admits Faugheen has "something to prove" if he lines up in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown next Saturday. The 10-year-old pulled up at Leopardstown over the Christmas period and after Willie Mullins failed to find a definitive reason for that effort, owner Ricci believes there are plenty of questions to answer in the Grade One feature. He said: "He is fine. At the moment it looks like all systems go for next weekend. "He has got some questions to answer, that is for sure. I don't know what happened at Christmas. He just wasn't himself and Willie's horses were a bit in and out. We are just hoping it was down to a cold and off day. "He seems to be back and well in himself, but he has got something to prove. Hopefully he comes out and runs really well next weekend and then it is all systems go to Cheltenham. "At Christmas I expected him to run well and win. I take some comfort from the fact that Willie's horses were a bit in and out and some of mine ra n horribly. "You wouldn't have been wanting to hide under a rock in Willie's yard in the last three weeks as he has turned everything over to try to find out (if there) was there something more than a patch of illness. "Nothing has come to light, which is good news. We have set such high expectations of Willie and his horses - he has not had a patch like that and maybe it was just his time."
