Irish Insight: Hurricane whips up a storm at Leopardstown

Ireland / Timeform / 30 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

Hurricane Fly confirmed himself the top two-mile hurdler around on Sunday

"He looks in a different league to his rivals and surely only a setback between now and Cheltenham can prevent him from recording back-to-back victories in the Champion Hurdle come March"

A weekend of high-class action at Leopardstown provided plenty of Cheltenham clues and saw the return of many people's idea of a Festival banker, defending Champion Hurdler Hurricane Fly.....

The meeting kicked off with a double for the Willie Mullins team courtesy of Darroun and Aupcharlie. Darroun proved a length and a quarter too strong for Hisaabaat in the opener, and as the runner-up has already got placed form in graded company, the winner rates as another exciting prospect for the Mullins team, jumping better than last time and responding to pressure in the manner of one likely to be suited by two and a half miles. This also pays a compliment to his Punchestown conqueror Shadow Catcher (third home that day has also won recently).

Aupcharlie made it third time lucky over timber just over half an hour later, not needing to better previous form to score but still leaving the firm impression this greater test of stamina played to his strengths. He could yet progress as his stamina is drawn out.

The Grade 2 novice chase over twenty one furlongs was billed as a match between Sir des Champs and Hidden Cyclone, but in the event it was a tight three-way finish as Fists of Fury rose to the occasion, providing Gigginstown House Stud with a 1-2 after Sir des Champs' success. Sir des Champs is now three from three over fences and took the race with more in hand than the bare margin indicates, rather allowing the front pair first run as he was switched off the rail approaching the last and asserting for little more than hands and heels. He deserves to be high up the shortlist for either the Jewson ([9.2]) or RSA Chase ([12.0]) at Cheltenham, especially as he's already shown his ability to act around that track.

Hidden Cyclone is once more set to bypass Prestbury Park but did enough to suggest he remains a high-class prospect, on the bridle for longer than anything, despite a jolting mistake at the fifth, and briefly ahead on the run in. He'll be a leading player in the Powers Gold Cup over Easter, his next reported target.

Big-field handicaps took centre stage later on the card. Citizenship came from well back to land the valuable Boylesports.com Handicap Hurdle by a length and a quarter from Leah Claire, continuing the progression he's shown since joining this yard in the process. Staying Article shaped well in third, ridden more positively than those he finished around, arguably doing too much too soon in the circumstances, and he deserves to be high on the shortlist for similar events over the coming weeks.

Seabass is a chaser on a role and he completed a five-timer with the minimum of fuss in the twenty one furlong handicap, making virtually all and again jumping well. Both the Aintree and Irish Nationals are set to come under consideration, and he is totally unexposed over marathon trips. Further back, one to look out for in the coming weeks could be Last Time d'Albain as he came into the contest in top form and did well to get as close as he did, very patiently ridden in a race not suited to such tactics.

Moving onto Sunday and the first Grade 1 race of the day was the Irish Arkle. It wasn't a particularly strong contest overall as it turned out, with Blackstairmountain and Notus de La Tour flopping, but Flemenstar still needs crediting with a very smart effort as he ran out a nineteen-length winner, again really impressing with his sure-footed jumping. Cheltenham isn't on the agenda this year but he clearly takes high rank among the novice chasers and will be a force to be reckoned with for the remainder of the season.

Just over an hour later saw the belated return of Hurricane Fly in the Irish Champion Hurdle and it was well worth the wait as he put up an imperious display to dispose of the best two-milers around with any amount in hand, jumping flawlessly, leading on the bridle before the last and coming away hard held for a six-and-a-half length win over Oscars Well. He looks in a different league to his rivals and surely only a setback between now and Cheltenham can prevent him from recording back-to-back victories in the Champion Hurdle come March. Of those in behind Thousand Stars may have had the forcing tactics overdone given the conditions, his jumping not as slick as it can be either, while Unaccompanied reportedly gurgled, so they both remain with place prospects in the big one.

The other performance of note this weekend came from Boston Bob, who has done well since switching from Howard Johnson to Willie Mullins and looks tailor-made for the Neptune Hurdle ([7.2]) at Cheltenham after his authoritative success in the Grade 2 novice hurdle over two and a half miles, taking closer order turning in and responding generously to pressure to overhaul Lyreen Legend and score by over two lengths, everything about this win suggesting he'll be even better at three miles. Make Your Mark finished third but travelled as well as anything for a long way and could yet get back on the up granted less testing conditions.