Hurricane Fly faces four rivals in Irish Champion

HURRICANE FLY will face four rivals when he returns from nine months off the track in Sunday's BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The Stan James Champion Hurdle winner has not run since landing his sixth consecutive Grade 1 win in last May's Rabobank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown festival.

On Sunday he is set to face Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Thousand Stars, Istabraq Festival Hurdle-winning mare Unaccompanied, Oscars Well and 50-1 outsider Kalann.

Paul Townend, regular rider of Unaccompanied, will ride Thousand Stars with Davy Russell booked to ride the Dermot Weld-trained five-year-old.

Voler La Vedette, runner-up in Thursday's John Mulhern Galmor Hurdle at Gowran Park,was the only original entry withdrawn at declaration time on Friday morning.

Seven will go to post in the day's other Grade 1, the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Chase with Nearest The Pin the only absentee from the original list.

This sets up a rematch between Racing Post Novice Chase first and second Blackstairmountain and Notus De La Tour.

Leading Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle hopes Boston Bob and Make Your Mark go head-to-head in the Grade 2 SynergySolutions Novice Hurdle on the same card.

Both trained by Mullins, the pair are no bigger than 14-1 for Cheltenham Festival glory.