Faugheen primed for Leopardstown task Connections of Faugheen are hopeful he can repeat the performance of his comeback run when he lines up in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday. The 2015 Champion Hurdle winner will bid to give trainer Willie Mullins a record-equalling sixth victory in the Grade One contest on his second start since returning from injury. The nine-year-old, who will be joined in the race by stablemate Cilaos Emery, showed he still retains all of his old ability when making his first start for 665 days a winning one with a decisive success in Punchestown's Morgiana Hurdle last month. Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: "All is good with Faugheen and he came out of Punchestown very well. "He was ready to go at Punchestown and, like we said before, we didn't give him a very long summer break. "We just want to get him to Cheltenham in one piece and if he did what he did at Punchestown, we would be very happy. "He went well around Leopardstown before and he probably put up one of his best ever performances at the track when he won the Irish Champion Hurdle there. "It looks a good opportunity for him and hopefully he will take another step down the road towards Cheltenham." Although an outing in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, which Faugheen won in 2014 and 2015, had been mentioned as a possible target, it was considered that staying in Ireland would be more beneficial to the eight-time Grade One winner. Mullins jnr added: "A, we are trying to win our own trainers' championship, and B, I don't think it makes sense to run a Champion Hurdle at Christmas. "We have to play an away game in March so why play two away games? I think this was the logical choice on our own track. "Buveur D'Air was very impressive at Kempton but there is no more pressure on us than there usually is. "Hopefully both horses will get to Cheltenham but we have got to concentrate on getting our horse there in one piece." The five-runner field is completed by the Gordon Elliott-trained trio of Campeador , Mick Jazz and The Game Changer.
