Ask any British jumps horse racing fan which horse got them excited over the last decade, and you will likely set up a stirring debate. Perhaps it's the double Grand National winner, Tiger Roll? Or the irresistible Altior? Some would surely plump for Sprinter Sacré, having fond memories of one of the sport's greatest comebacks when winning the Champion Chase in 2016. Buveur D'Air might also be in there, as would the brilliant Hurricane Fly.
However, over in Ireland, the argument is a little less flexible, and the name on everyone's lips would undoubtedly be "The Machine", aka Faugheen. Willie Mullins's charge was something of a superstar in the middle of the decade, unbeatable over hurdles and seemingly with the world at his feet by the time he won the 2015 Champion Hurdle ahead of quality hurdlers like Hurricane Fly, the New One and Jezki.
Faugheen's career looked to be over several times
But then things took a downturn. Injury and mysteriously average form saw Faugheen's star diminish somewhat. He could still pick up the odd Grade 1 win here and there, but The Machine didn't look well-oiled. There were attempts to send him over a longer trip, with mixed results. For instance, he won the Champion Stayers' Hurdle in Ireland in 2018, but couldn't really make his mark at Cheltenham. A credible and gutsy third-place finish in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2019 seemed like a decent way to say goodbye. Nine Grade 1 victories over hurdles should be enough to satiate fans of any horse, but there was a perhaps a little regret that Faugheen had some lost years when in his prime.
And then, this autumn Willie Mullins decided to send Faugheen chasing. The horse was 11 years old when he made his debut over fences, a shaky performance in the low-key Naas Oil Beginners' Chase. Faugheen won by seven lengths, but it was by no means a vintage performance. Boxing Day, however, threw up something altogether surprising. Up against the likes of Samcro in a Grade 1 chase at Limerick, Faugheen put on one of the best performances of any horse over the Christmas period to clinch victory in a thrilling battle.
Faugheen heads to Cheltenham for a crack at greatness
The upshot is this: Faugheen, who hit the grand old age of 12 on New Year's Day, will head off to the Cheltenham Festival ready to take on some of the world's finest chasers, something that would have felt unthinkable at several points during the last couple of years. He is rated at 7/1 (888sport) favourite for the Marsh Novices' Chase (formerly the JLT). You can click here for more of that event's betting info, but names like Samcro (10/1), Fakir D'oudairies (10/1) and Mister Fisher (14/1) are also being mentioned.
Can the great hurdler do the seemingly impossible and finish off his career with a big Grade 1 win in a Cheltenham Festival chase? The truth is, we don't know. But that's what makes it exciting. You see, it is the fact that we don't know what you are going to get with Faugheen that makes him so alluring to fans and punters. It's the horse's flaws and vulnerabilities that cause the wins to be sweeter.
It gets into the essence of the nature of sport itself — the same reason we prefer Maradona over Pele, McEnroe over Borg, Higgins over Davis. Without delving into cliché, Faugheen will be the Rocky Balboa in this race; and if he wins at Cheltenham, the roof will come off the place.
