Praise for Canyon from Walsh Ruby Walsh admits that it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Nichols Canyon has improved past Faugheen. Faugheen was a brilliant winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the equivalent race at Punchestown last term, but he suffered the first defeat of his career when surprisingly beaten by fellow Willie Mullins inmate Nichols Canyon in Sunday's Morgiana Hurdle. Nichols Canyon was a leading novice last season, collecting four Grade One prizes, and claimed the scalp of his more illustrious stablemate at the weekend. Walsh told Racing UK: "Maybe we underestimated Nichols Canyon a little bit and he (Faugheen) didn't pick up like he can and hung a bit to his right. Nichols has probably improved and Faugheen mightn't have been as ready as I thought he was. "The zest and the turn of foot he has wasn't there. Maybe the bit of work he did (earlier in the week) was too much and I left it on the gallop, that can happen. "Without Nichols Canyon it would have been a great first run, so I suppose you have to give him the credit. "I'd love to be able to say it was X, Y or Z and H will fix it. Maybe it is that Nichols Canyon is a better horse - that could be the simplest answer - time will tell. "Every horse gets beaten - bar Frankel - and to me Faugheen wasn't at his best, but there's a long way to go, it's November." Sponsors William Hill make Faugheen the 4-6 favourite to regain winning ways and successfully defend his crown in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke said: "Faugheen has to be forgiven a slightly below-par performance on his first run in six months and we fully expect 'The Machine' to be back firing on all cylinders come Christmas time." The long-absent My Tent Or Yours is Christmas Hurdle second favourite at 11-2, ahead of The New One at 7-1 and Irving at 10-1.
