| R3 IRE - LEOPARDSTOWN | 29 December 2014 |
| Ryanair Hurdle (Grade 1) G1 4U HDLE ($146,480), 3219m 3:49.50 | |
| FP | Horse Age & Sex | Trainer Jockey | WT SP | |||||||
1st | 3. HURRICANE FLY (IRE) 10yo Gelding | WILLIE MULLINS R WALSH | 74.5 $1.83 | |||||||
| MONTJEU (IRE) - SCANDISK (IRE) | ||||||||||
| GEORGE CREIGHTON & MRS ROSE BOYD | 2nd | 4. JEZKI (IRE) 6yo Gelding | MRS J HARRINGTON A P MCCOY | 74.5 $2.38 | ||||||
| MILAN (GB) - LA NOIRE (IRE) | ||||||||||
| JOHN P MCMANUS | 3rd | 2. ARCTIC FIRE (GER) 5yo Gelding | WILLIE MULLINS PAUL TOWNEND | 74.5 $26.00 | ||||||
| SOLDIER HOLLOW (GB) - ADELMA (GER) | ||||||||||
| WICKLOW BLOODSTOCK(IRELAND)LTD | ||||||||||
| 4th | 5. KING OF THE PICTS (IRE) 5yo Gelding | JOHN PATRICK SHANAHAN L P DEMPSEY | 74.5 $101.00 | |||||||
| 5th | 6. PLINTH (IRE) 4yo Gelding | AIDAN O'BRIEN ROBBIE POWER | 73.0 $67.00 | |||||||
| 6th | 7. TIGER ROLL (IRE) 4yo Gelding | GORDON ELLIOTT BRYAN J COOPER | 73.0 $17.00 | |||||||
| 7th | 1. ALDERWOOD (IRE) 10yo Gelding | THOMAS MULLINS P A CARBERRY | 74.5 $101.00 | |||||||
Hurricane Fly showed immense courage to win his 21st Grade 1 and to stay unbeaten at Leopardstown. The Champion Hurdler Jezki ran credibly in second and Arctic Fire ran the sort of race worthy of his considerable talent to finish third.
Lee SOG Says:
8/01/2015 12:20:59 PM
I'd love Mullins to throw Faugheen in against The Fly in the Irish Champion to see how he compares to The Fly... we'd learn so much about where they're at, and put an end to speculation such as.. 1. Is it worth taking The Fly to Cheltenham to make history? Or go for the World Hurdle instead? Or save him for Aintree? 2. How ready is Faugheen to take on The New One at The Festival? Might it be best to go for the World Hurdle instead?.. It would also get more jumping experience into Faugheen too, which he obviously needs to brush up on.. - Obviously Mullins may already know the answers to all these questions, but if not, rather than guessing, I'd love to see Faugheen take on The Fly before The Festival so we can measure them up.. and give racing fans more clues towards those four glorious days in March...
Tony Morris Says:
30/12/2014 5:32:33 PM
That was quite a step up by Arctic Fire from his run in the Fighting Fifth.What a champion horse Hurricane Fly is though
stephen fry Says:
30/12/2014 4:46:07 AM
Great ride by Ruby Walsh on this evergreen Champion of Champions HF the key was probably the soft to heavy ground. Great performance by a game 10 year old. The only other that I can remember as a 10 year old was the immortal Sea Pigeon that won grade one races in his twilight years . Was at Kempton park on Boxing Day saw Faugeen win in a canter, but he beat a field of second rate hurdles. How good is he ? Today's field would have tested him. Myself I would back HF to beat him also, still running to a mark on the 170s .Great fun. Steve