Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown

The two U.K. meetings today (Fontwell has been abandoned) are of little account, but there is an excellent card in Ireland at Leopardstown with the Irish Champion Hurdle over 2 miles at 15.35 CET as the main feature. Only 4 runners, but it still looks a great race and in fact all 4 ran in the same race last time, the Ryanair Hurdle over this CD at the Christmas meeting. Hurricane Fly (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) ran out a convincing winner that day to record his 18th Grade One victory, a world record. He has won 19 of his 21 starts since joining Mullins, and his only defeat in the last 4 years was when 3rd in the 2012 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He has won the Cheltenham race since however and is also 7 from 7 at Leopardstown, including this race for the past 3 years. He is rated the brest jhurdler this century and in theory is a certainty today. We certainly expect him to win, but he is by no means a certainty. Both the last time runner-up Jezki (Jessica Harrington/ Tony McCoy) and the thiurd home Our Conor (Dessie Hughes/ Danny Mulloins) can be expected to put iup much more of a fight this time, while Captain Cee Bee (Eddie Harty/ Mark Walsh) went off too fast last time and is also better than the bare form. Jezki was hampered at a vital stage, while Our Conor needed the race and both camps are hopeful of taking their revenge, while Hurricane Fly himself was reported to have had a bruised foot earlier in the week. It should be a fascinating race, not one to bet on perhaps, but essential viewing.

The novice chase at 14.30 is also a Grade One and looks between Defy Logic (Paul Nolan/ McCoy) and Felix Yonger (Mullins/ Walsh). Felix Yonger beat this rival at Punchestown in November, while Defy Logic beat Trifolium (Charlie Byrnes/ Bryan Cooper) over this CD on Boxing Day. It could be a close thing, with Mullins´ second string, the relatively unexposed Mozoltov (Paul Townend) the only other one likely to get a look-in.

It could be another big payday for the Mullins/ Walsh Team and the trainer seems confident of also taking the Grade Two novice hurdle at 16.10 with Sure Reef, who won on the flat here for Mike Halford and was a very easy maiden winner last time; so was Wounded Warrior (Noel Meade/ Cooper) and both are moving up in grade, while Gilt Shadow (Stuart and Stephen Crawford), well beaten in a Grade One last time, is actually top-rated here, while Double Irish (Gordon Elliott/ Danny Mullins) and Gallant Tipp (Edward O´Grady/ McCoy), both good winners last time out, must also be considered.

Tipps für die Rennen:
1. Rennen: Powder Hound - Rock The World - Little Rocky
2. Rennen: Felix Yonger - Defy Logic - Trifolium
3. Rennen: Treat Yourself - Barneys Honour - Golden Ticket
4. Rennen: Hurricane Fly - Jezki - Our Conor
5. Rennen: Sure Reef - Double Irish - Wounded Warrior
6. Rennen: Tabhachtach - Hold Em Cowboy - Mackeys Forge
7. Rennen: Killer Crow - Windsor Park - Princely Conn