HURRICANE FLY IS the star attraction of today’s action, and the Champion Hurdle victor is odds-on to add the Punchestown equivalent to his CV for the second year in a row.

While in the run-up to Cheltenham, Hurricane, Menorah and Binocular all vied for favouritism, it’s indicative of the impression that Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old made on the day that he can be backed at a current best price of 4/6 to win and complete an unbeaten season.

Binocular was withdrawn days before the Champion Hurdle due to accidently being administered a banned substance, so today’s race represents the first meeting between the pair. After disappointing at Aintree over two-and-a-half miles the clash is now robbed of some of the debate and intrigue that surrounded the run up to the Prestbury Park festival; and anything other than a victory for the Irish horse would me a relative surprise.

Menorah was slightly underwhelming in his previous run, and finished a well-beaten fifth some 10 lengths behind Hurricane. His victory in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December doesn’t look quite as impressive now given the subsequent limitations exposed in Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti; and it’s hard to see him improving enough to trouble the favourite.

Of the two other Mullins runners, Thousand Stars has been admirably consistent over the last season or two and deserves a big prize. Today is unlikely to be that day though, but he has a great chance of running into a place. Blackstairsmountain looks outclassed at this level, and similar sentiments apply to the last of the sextet, Alaivan.

Outsiders

The other big race on the card is the Champion Novice Hurdle, where the winner and third home in the Neptune at the Cheltenham festival re-oppose through First Lieutenant and So Young. It looks to be a match between the pair for this prize, with the other runners not having shown anything near the same level of form.

Oddly, despite the fact that First Lieutenant was some five lengths ahead of his opponent that day, So Young heads the market. His work at home has obviously been impressive, and perhaps he would have made more a race of it that day if it hadn’t been for a mistake at the final flight.

Of the long priced horses, Frisco Depot’s beating of Shot From the Hip looks like decent form now and if returning fit form a long break he could be an intriguing runner.

Nap of the Day

While So Young had excuses the last day it’s hard to fathom his place at the top of the market. While a mistake at the last did his chances no good, he had already begun to show signs of tiredness by hanging left and wasn’t coming home as well as the winner.

It could be that he improves to win, but at the prices First Lieutenant is a cracking bet. Bar the favourite, the rest of the field will have to show a big step-up in form to challenge so the 15/8 is surprising to say the least. He seems the value on what he has achieved to date.

Each-Way