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Ruby Walsh wins the Rabobank Champion Hurdle on Hurricane Fly at Punchestown. Julien Behal/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Absent

Hurricane Fly misses Leopardstown Festival

Willie Mullins has pulled the Champion Hurdle winner from Thursday’s Istabraq Festival Hurdle.

CHAMPION HURDLE WINNER Hurricane Fly will miss out on this year’s Leopardstown Festival after being ruled out of Thursday’s Istabraq Festival Hurdle.

Trainer Willie Mullins has decided to pull the seven-year-old in what is the latest setback after he missed an intended engagement at Punchestown last month.

Suspicions emerged last week when betting was suspended on Thursday’s race because of substantial money coming for stablemate Thousand Stars and those concerns were justified as Mullins has made his decision public today.

“I’ve decided not to run Hurricane Fly at Leopardstown and Thousand Stars will be our runner in the race,” Mullins said on The Racing Post’s website.

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