Irish Champion Hurdle: Fly heads five runners

Hurricane Fly has never been beaten at Leopardstown

Willie Mullins is confident Hurricane Fly is in better shape than at any stage last season as he aims to complete a hat-trick of wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday...

The nine-year-old is a hot favourite to become the first horse since the great Istabraq to win the Irish Champion Hurdle more than twice.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "This year he's come back much stronger and he has taken his training well and doing everything right, so fingers crossed we can keep him right for Sunday. He's a much more settled horse all round this year and he'll have a very good chance."

Victory this weekend is likely to strengthen Hurricane Fly's position at the head of ante-post betting for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, where he currently trades as a 4.77/2 favourite, but Mullins is refusing to look that far ahead.

"I'm just concentrating on Sunday. What happens after that across the water, I'm not thinking about that. It's all about Sunday for me," said the champion trainer.

Mullins has a second runner in the shape of three-time Grade 1 winner Thousand Stars, but he has never finished ahead of Hurricane Fly in eight previous meetings.

Hurricane Fly's biggest threat would appear to be Nicky Henderson's British challenger Binocular, winner of the 2010 Champion Hurdle and one place behind Hurricane Fly when fourth at Cheltenham last year.

Eddie Harty's veteran Captain Cee Bee has picked up minor money behind Hurricane Fly the last twice and the trainer would be happy with a similar result.

Harty said: "He's in great form. He's a 12-year-old now and all you can hope for is a good run.

The five-runner field is completed by Oliver Brady's outsider One Cool Shabra.

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