Mullins impressed by Buveur's Newcastle return Willie Mullins admitted to being impressed by Buveur D'Air's victory on his seasonal reappearance as he contemplates the next step for Faugheen, his big Champion Hurdle hope. Both are past winners of the Cheltenham showpiece, with Faugheen the king in 2015 and the Nicky Henderson-trained Buveur D'Air successful this year, where Faugheen was an absentee, as he had also been in 2016. Faugheen went through his paces in style on his comeback in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last month, while Buveur D'Air did likewise in the Unibet Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday. The pair could potentially meet in a pre-Cheltenham showdown at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, and Mullins said: "Buveur D'Air was fantastic and I am sure Nicky Henderson was very pleased. I would be if I had him. " Both horses have done their first trials well. I've not thought any more about his run at Christmas. "Fingers crossed we will stay right for Cheltenham." Mullins is looking forward to giving Djakadam the chance of winning the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase for the third time on December 10. "We will go to Punchestown for the John Durkan," said the Closutton handler. "After that we will see what we will do. He has won the John Durkan the last two years so we will be happy enough to go back there again."
