Cheltenham Festival; Faugheen and Annie Power still a doubt for the Champion Hurdle as Willie Mullins team report they aren’t in top form
Willie Mullins and Patrick Mullins have slightly conflicting updates on their stable stars who are both entered in the Irish Champion Hurdle later this month
WHILE Faugheen and Annie Power are both entered in the Irish Champion Hurdle later this month, their participation is far from certain.
And with conflicting interviews between and Patrick Mullins it's making it hard to work out what to believe.
Faugheen has not been seen since winning the 2016 renewal of the race having suffered a suspensory ligament injury then meeting with small setbacks this season.
Annie Power - who stepped in for Faugheen last season when winning the Champion Hurdle - also missed her intended reappearance this season.
In an interview on Friday Mullins reported he was desperate to get them both back out on the racecourse.
Mullins said: "I want to get them out as soon as I can.
"They are both well - both are riding out and doing plenty."
Yet Mullins jnr reported the horses to not be quite as well as Mullins snr suggested.
Mullins jnr commented: "Hopefully Faugheen can start to sparkle in his work and we can get him back to the track.
"Neither he nor Annie has sparked and Dad is taking a patient approach.
"We'd have liked to have Faugheen out earlier but we've not been happy with the way he has sparked: he hasn't in the way we'd have liked. It's nothing serious and he's riding away but we're very much erring on the side of caution, with March the main aim."
The quotes come just days after Ruby Walsh reported Faugheen to be "grand" at home.
Walsh said: "He’s grand, not a bother on him. It won’t be too long until you see him.
"He looks a million dollars."
There seems little chance we will see even one of them line up at Leopardstown later this month if we believe Mullins jnr.
But wouldn't it be nice just to get some clarity on the horses?!