Hughes Downcast After Farmer Flop

Pat Hughes acknowledged Farmer Brown's Champion Hurdle aspirations are fading fast after a lifeless display at Leopardstown on Saturday.

The Galway Hurdle winner was a close-up second to Jazz Messenger in the Morgiana but could not carry that form through to the bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle.

Farmer Brown travelled well enough but tamely faded into fifth behind Al Eile to leave connections flummoxed.

Hughes said: 'He was fine after the race but it was just very disappointing.

'He seems OK and there doesn't seem anything wrong with him.

'He just didn't jump down the back straight and only really jumped one of the last five hurdles properly.

'It looks like that (the Champion Hurdle) will be too much for him now.

'We've no real plans for him now but we'll have to sit back and assess the situation.'

(C) PA Sport