Hurricane storms to win in long-awaited return

Report: Leopardstown, Sunday

BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 4yo+, 2m

IT WAS worth all the waiting as Hurricane Fly thrashed his four rivals on his much-delayed seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown.

The Stan James Champion Hurdle winner was cut to evens from 7-4 by Paddy Power and William Hill for the Cheltenham Festival race, while BetVictor went odds-on at 10-11.

In miserable conditions befitting his name, the Ruby Walsh-ridden Hurricane Fly made embarrassingly short work of a smart field including Dermot Weld's Unaccompanied to win by six and a half lengths.

Although expected to win - he was sent off 4-5 favourite - Hurricane Fly confounded all but his most optimistic supporters by delivering a hurdling masterclass on the heavy turf of Leopardstown.

After missing two races so far this season there were concerns over the Fly's wellbeing, and even a sparkling racecourse gallop earlier this month could not entirely dispel concerns in the way this effortless victory did.

Even his trainer, Willie Mullins, confessed to being shocked. "It is a complete surprise to me how well he did it," he said.

"My first reaction is it might be his best ever performance."

The race was a test for the returning champion, who had not raced since winning at the Punchestown festival in May. Stablemate Thousand Stars,second to the Fly on that occasion, set a fair clip up front and had the field strung out for the early and middle portions of the race.

Three hurdles from home the distance covering the five runners contracted to about half a dozen lengths. Turning for home, however, the race rapidly ended as a competitive event as Hurricane Fly dismissed his rivals as if they were no more than dogged handicappers.

Unaccompanied found it too difficult to go with Hurricane Fly as he went forward, Thousand Stars tired of his exertions up-front, and Oscars Well could do no more than plug on gamely after the champion for a distant second. 

"It's relief to have that over," said Mullins. "I hoped he'd win but you never know when they've been off for such a longtime.

"I hope he didn't have too hard a race as the ground was very gruelling, but we have six weeks to Cheltenham and that should give us plenty of time."

Plenty of time it may be, but after 268 days offthe track before this race six weeks will seem like nothing to the Fly's legions of supporters.