Fly towers over 12-runner Champion Hurdle field
Posted by Robert James on Thursday, March 8, 2012
Can anything beat Hurricane Fly? That’s the question that will face punters looking to find something to lower the colours of last year’s Stan James Champion Hurdle winner who appears to be every bit as good this term judged by his win in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January, writes Elliot Slater.
Willie Mullins’ high-class two-miler will face an absolute maximum of 11 rivals as he bids to retain his hurdling crown, the final field only being declared 48 hours before the big race on Sunday lunchtime. A flurry of horse racing betting tips means Hurricane Fly is currently a top priced 10/11 market leader having toyed with the opposition and breezed to a stunning win in Ireland on his only outing this term following an interrupted preparation that had many wondering if he would ever make it back to the track this season.
All the champion’s main market rivals have stood their ground, including the current 5/1 joint-second favourites Binocular and Zarkandar. Binocular, trained by Nicky Henderson and winner of the 2010 Champion Hurdle, has looked good on his last two starts when winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, followed by an easy victory at Wincanton last month in the Kingwell Hurdle. For his part last season’s Triumph Hurdle hero Zarkandar, trained by Paul Nicholls, put up an amazing performance in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury a few weeks ago when appearing to be in an impossible position after the third last before storming through the pack to catch the luckless Get Me Out Of Here by just over a length to keep his unbeaten record over hurdles intact, a real horse racing betting news headline making performance.
Nicholls could also be represented by Rock On Ruby, Brampour and the 2009 runner-up Celestial Halo, while Mullins may ask both French Champion hurdle winner Thousand Stars and the classy Zaidpour to join stable star Hurricane Fly at the starting tapes for what promises to be a tremendous renewal of the first day highlight of the eagerly anticipated Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins’ high-class two-miler will face an absolute maximum of 11 rivals as he bids to retain his hurdling crown, the final field only being declared 48 hours before the big race on Sunday lunchtime. A flurry of horse racing betting tips means Hurricane Fly is currently a top priced 10/11 market leader having toyed with the opposition and breezed to a stunning win in Ireland on his only outing this term following an interrupted preparation that had many wondering if he would ever make it back to the track this season.
All the champion’s main market rivals have stood their ground, including the current 5/1 joint-second favourites Binocular and Zarkandar. Binocular, trained by Nicky Henderson and winner of the 2010 Champion Hurdle, has looked good on his last two starts when winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, followed by an easy victory at Wincanton last month in the Kingwell Hurdle. For his part last season’s Triumph Hurdle hero Zarkandar, trained by Paul Nicholls, put up an amazing performance in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury a few weeks ago when appearing to be in an impossible position after the third last before storming through the pack to catch the luckless Get Me Out Of Here by just over a length to keep his unbeaten record over hurdles intact, a real horse racing betting news headline making performance.
Nicholls could also be represented by Rock On Ruby, Brampour and the 2009 runner-up Celestial Halo, while Mullins may ask both French Champion hurdle winner Thousand Stars and the classy Zaidpour to join stable star Hurricane Fly at the starting tapes for what promises to be a tremendous renewal of the first day highlight of the eagerly anticipated Cheltenham Festival.