Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown

an excellent card at Leopardstown today is headed by the Grade One Irish Champion Hurdle at 15.30 CET. Hurricane Fly (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) is the hot favourite here. He won the race last year and followed up on the "real thing" at Cheltenham. However he has not run since winning at Punchestown in May. Mullins is always very cautious with his stars and the long break should be no problem, and "the Fly" has won off a similar break before. In fact he has won 10 of his last 11 starts, including 9 Grade Ones and his last defeat was back in 2008. He has already defeated stable companion Thousand Stars (Paul Townend) 5 times and we expect him to do so again. Oscars Well (Jessica Harrington/ Robbie Power) is another smart performer but also looks well held. The obvious danger is the mare Unaccompanied (Dermot Weld /Davy Russell), who showed excellent speed to win here from Thousand Stars and Oscars Well at the Christmas. Hurricane Fly and his trainer are great champions, but w e are huge admirers of Dermot Weld, and if there is a chink in the Fly´s armour, Unaccompanied will find it.

Mullins and Walsh also have a clear chance of winning the other Grade One on the card, the Arkle Novice Chase at 14.25, with Blackstairmountain, a smart hurdler who can go right to the top over fences. However he has little in hand of the equally promising Flemenstar (Peter Casey/ Andrew Lynch). Mullins should certainly win the Grade Two novice hurdle at 16.05, where he saddles two favourites, Boston Bob (Walsh) and Make your Mark (Davy Russell). Russell rides the latter as he is retained by the owner, and in receipt of 10 lbs, we expect him to win. The opening maiden hurdle at 13.55 is another strong race; Tony McCoy has not yet ridden a winner since his comeback from injury, but his turn could come here on Tony Martin´s Thomas Edison, an impressive bumper winner here at Christmas.

The card at Ffos Las pales into insignificance by comparison, but one horse does stand out: Seventh Sky (Charlie Mann/ Noel Fehily) who makes his hurdling debut at 14.15. This half-brother to German Derby winners Samum and Schiaparelli failed to live up to the high expectations in Germany, but did at least win a listed race and if he jumps properly could well score at the first time of asking for his new connections.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Tennis Cap - Burn And Turn - Double Double
2. Race: Blackstairmountain - Flemenstar - Notus de la Tour
3. Race: Luke`S Benefit - Senior Again - Jigalo
4. Race: Hurricane Fly - Unaccompanied - Thousand Stars
5. Race: Make Your Mark - Boston Bob - Sea Of Thunder
6. Race: Vast Consumption - Alfa Beat - King Of The Refs
7. Race: Ted Veale - Rear View - Six Stone Ned