The Fly or Faugheen dilemma for Walsh Ruby Walsh has compared the tough decision that awaits over whether to ride Hurricane Fly or Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle to the one he was forced to make between Kauto Star and Denman in a couple of Cheltenham Gold Cups. Walsh has already won two Champion Hurdles on Hurricane Fly, but his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate is a short-priced favourite for this year's renewal leaving the jockey in a tricky position. Ahead of the 2008 Gold Cup, Walsh found himself in a similar scenario with Kauto Star and Denman dominating the scene but he made the wrong call as Denman, ridden by Sam Thomas, won by seven lengths. However, 12 months later Walsh stayed loyal to Kauto Star and got his revenge by 13 lengths. "It (choosing between the two) will be no tougher than Kauto and Denman and I got that one wrong the first year, but got it right the second," Walsh told Racing UK. "I try not to worry and the way I look at it is that it's nice to have two good rides going into it and to have to make the choice rather than waiting for the phone to ring to be offered a ride. "We'll let it be and worry about it much closer to the time." Both horses won over Christmas, with Hurricane Fly taking his record haul of Grade One wins to 21 at Leopardstown and Faugheen winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton but Hurricane Fly has met with defeat twice in the Champion Hurdle. "For different reasons things just haven't happened for him (Hurricane Fly) at Cheltenham," said Walsh. "He's been very good twice and won two Champion Hurdles and he's disappointed twice. Everyone has an off day but' it's just been his have been at Cheltenham. "The year Rock On Ruby won I maybe rode him too far off the pace and last year maybe I was too close to the pace, I don't know, It's a difficult one. "He's a hell of a good horse and has 21 Grade Ones. "Faugheen was very good at Kempton and will hopefully keep on improving, I don't know where he'll go next."
