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15 May, 2021 11:39 Faugheen on his way to winning the 2015 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Credit: Helen Revington and Stephen Sparkes
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Racing legend Faugheen will enjoy his retirement in the company of heroes at the Irish National Stud.
Susannah and Rich Ricci’s National Hunt star, trained by Willie Mullins, won more than £1.1m in prize money in eight seasons on the track.
“We are delighted to be welcoming the legendary Faugheen the machine to join our Living Legends for a well-earned retirement,” said a spokesman for the Irish National Stud.
10 May 2021 ⢠5:15pm
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Todayâs horse racing predictions come from Ayr, Sedgefield and Beverley. Read our expertâs nap of the day, next best and other selections
Thereâs another busy day of racing action on Tuesday with six meetings across the UK and Ireland.
The action starts with the lone National Hunt meeting at Sedgefield (1.00-4.35pm), which is followed in the afternoon by Flat racing from Roscommon (1.30-4.30) and Beverley (1.45-4.45). The evening fare comes from Killarney (4.40-8.15), Wetherby (5.15-8.25) and Ayr (5.25-8.35).
Tuesdayâs nap is a regular Ayr visitor who is chasing a fifth course win and has plenty going for him after a pleasing run last month.Â
UPDATED 11:10AM, APR 30 2021
Staying races have a habit of throwing up wide-margin winners, but Klassical Dream looked a man among boys at Punchestown when, barely turning a hair, he sauntered to success in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle.
If that was not impressive enough for you, the 2019 Supreme Novices Hurdle winner was posting one of the classiest championship race-winning performances Punchestown has seen off the back of an 18-month hiatus, making the extraordinary look ordinary.
However, when you have Willie Mullins in your corner you have a chance, and the connections of Klassical Dream were rewarded in spades for keeping the faith with a horse who had not raced since the Christmas of 2019.
UPDATED 2:36PM, APR 25 2021
Irish champion jockey Paul Townend will make a timely return to the saddle on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival after being booked to ride in each of Tuesday s three Grade 1s, providing a huge boost for the Willie Mullins team ahead of the biggest week in Irish jump racing.
Townend has been sidelined since injuring his foot after falling from Egality Mans at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, an injury which forced him to miss the Grand National meeting at Aintree, but he has been declared fit to ride at the five-day extravaganza.
The 30-year-old’s return comes at the perfect time as he is coming under increasing pressure from Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore in the race to be Ireland’s leading jockey this season.
UPDATED 7:38PM, APR 13 2021
Weight-for-age conditions for jump races in Britain and Ireland will be symmetrical from next season following an agreed change of rules by the BHA and IHRB.
Hurdlers and chasers aged between three and five are currently given different allowances in the two countries depending on age, time and race distance, which can vary between 5lb and 7lb, but the Anglo-Irish jumps scale is to be introduced from May 1 in Britain and three days later in Ireland. This will not affect the Punchestown Festival, which runs from April 27 to May 1.
Irish horses will be most impacted by the changes, with five-year-old hurdlers no longer benefiting from weight-for-age allowances, and a general decrease on the amount permitted per month across all distances.