Hurricane Fly shows he's out of top drawer

RACING:WILLIE MULLINS feared Hurricane Fly was a little lethargic before he ran at Leopardstown yesterday, a fear that didn't stop the new Champion Hurdle favourite from winning so impressively that the idea of him firing on all cylinders is one to have race fans salivating for Cheltenham already.

Any pre-race nerves that Mullins had had were understandable considering his star novice, Zaidpour, lost his unbeaten record at odds of 1 to 4 just an hour previously.

He, too, had had a spectacular winning effort at Fairyhouse a fortnight before under his belt and Mullins was anxious that two Grade One races with so little time between them might also take its toll on Hurricane Fly in the Paddy Power December Festival Hurdle.

But where the novice faltered, Hurricane Fly looks like he has matured into the real deal and an ultra-smooth two-and-a-half-length defeat of his old rival Solwhit was even more impressive than Fairyhouse, provoking bookmakers into generally cutting him to as low as 3 to 1 favourite for the Champion Hurdle in March.

“I thought he was a bit dead today after having had that hard race at Fairyhouse but he has done it so well,” Mullins admitted afterwards.

“Running in races so close together is not something you would do normally but who knew what was going to happen with the weather. I was always going to run him when I can because everything could close down again next week.”

Hurricane Fly will now have a longer break before returning to Leopardstown for the Irish Champion Hurdle and despite the ease of yesterday’s success his trainer feels he will need it.

“This ground (heavy) takes it out of them, even if they appear to win easy. But we will probably come back here next,” Mullins said.

Solwhit didn’t appear to get a completely clear run on the approach to the last flight but his trainer Charles Byrnes reported: “I’m very happy with that. We’ve no plans but there was good prizemoney for second there.”

Yesterday’s third, Luska Lad, could take on Hurricane Fly again in the Irish Champion and trainer John “Shark” Hanlon, said: “We’re thrilled with him. It’s the best run of his career and we’ll probably bring him back here.”

Zaidpour was on the drift in Supreme Novices’ Hurdle betting after his shock defeat by the 16 to 1 outsider, First Lieutenant, in the paddypowerpoker.com Future Champion Novice Hurdle.

Yesterday’s short odds looked very short indeed from the turn-in as Zaidpour failed to find the sparkling kick he showed in the Royal Bond Hurdle. Paul Townend persevered and the favourite closed only for First Lieutenant to hold on by a neck.

The winner’s trainer, Mouse Morris, was prepared to credit the success to First Lieutenant’s owner, the Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary.

“There was a nice winners of one at Limerick yesterday but Michael said have a crack at it. So, thanks to my new trainer!” Morris said after his horse got 10 to 1 quotes for Cheltenham’s three-mile Neptune Novices’ Hurdle. “He’s crying out for a trip.”

Big Zeb confirmed his position as Ireland’s top two-miler with an authoritative defeat of Golden Silver in the Dial-A-Bet Chase that proved to be the centrepiece of a Barry Geraghty hat-trick.

Colm Murphy had worried the lack of a final gallop might tell on Big Zeb but even a final lunge by the runner-up couldn’t rattle the reigning champion chaser who remains second favourite to Master Minded in betting for this season’s Queen Mother.

“I would fear him the way he fears us. I certainly wouldn’t sidestep him, and I wouldn’t swap,” Murphy said yesterday. “You couldn’t have asked for that to go better. All going well, he’ll run in the Tied Cottage at Punchestown and then go across the water. We’ll keep it simple, same as last year.”

If the snow held up Big Zeb slightly, then pre-race fears that Our Girl Salley’s chance in the Listed Mares Hurdle were compromised by inactivity were very real. They also proved fruitless as she easily beat Shop DJ to earn 12 to 1 quotes for the David Nicholson Hurdle in March.

“Her preparation was horrendous, a nightmare. I didn’t think she would be able to do herself justice with the preparation she had. We had a foot and a half of snow and all she did was walk in a field,” said Wicklow-based trainer Prunella Dobbs. “I really think she is very, very good after that.”

Geraghty completed his three-timer in the handicap hurdle aboard Gordon Elliott’s The Shepherd who was five lengths too good for the topweight Footy Facts.

Robbie McNamara came up just a short head short of adding to his Paddy Power Chase victory when Mississippi River just failed to overhaul Jim Will Fix It in the paddypower.com bumper.

Yesterday’s Leopardstown crowd of 12,014 was down over 2,500 on the 2009 Paddy Power day.

Official figures comparing yesterday and the second day of last year’s festival also saw a drop in bookmaker turnover from €1,432,794 to €1,195,037.

Tote turnover was up, however, from €522,065 to €567,510.