There will be no heroic performance at Christmas from Faugheen this year with Willie Mullins’ veteran recuperating from a setback.

The 2015 Champion Hurdle winner turns 13 in a few weeks but remains in training alongside a galaxy of other stars at Mullins’ Closutton yard.

He went novice chasing at an advanced age last season and having won on his chasing debut at Punchestown he went to Limerick for a Grade One over Christmas and beat Samcro by 10 lengths for a hugely-popular success.

He then topped that by winning at the Dublin Racing Festival and went down by just a length to Samcro at Cheltenham in the Marsh Novices’ Chase.

Patrick Mullins rode him at Limerick and the assistant trainer to his father said at an event to publicise Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting: “He had a little setback at the end of October.

“We’re just taking our time with him very much, so he won’t be out at Christmas. We’re just having to take our time.

“We’ll just have to start again with him and if he’s in great form we’ll look for a race then, but he won’t be out at Christmas.”