Owner Nick Peacock is hopeful Arctic Fire can gain a deserved victory in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan tomorrow.

Willie Mullins hailed Hurricane Fly a “legend of a horse” after announcing the retirement of one of the greatest hurdlers of all time.

In-form Luke Dempsey again proved his star quality when partnering Thunder Zone, the outsider of just three runners, in the CIT race Week Hurdle on Student Race Day in Cork yesterday.

Willie Mullins admits Nichols Canyon puts him in mind of stable star Hurricane Fly as he bids to give the trainer a fourth Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle win in the last 10 years at Cheltenham today.

In delivering a third Champion Hurdle crown to the Closutton residence of trainer Willie Mullins, Faugheen silenced the doubters with a display of authority which established him as the leading hurdler in these isles — a position the unbeaten seven-year-old promises to command for a considerable period.

If there was one moment that summed up the sheer size and strength of the challenge from Willie Mullins’ team here this week then it came shortly after four o’clock when the opening day’s banker Annie Power crashed to earth in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Jessica Harrington is confident Jezki is in at least as good a form as 12 months ago as he prepares to defend his crown in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham today.

Connections of Jezki were happy enough with his run behind Hurricane Fly at Leopardstown on Sunday despite losing out to his old adversary for a fifth time.

Charlie Swan expects Ruby Walsh to desert Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, despite his historic fifth victory in the Irish equivalent on Sunday.

What is left to say about the extraordinary Hurricane Fly, one off the greatest National Hunt horses of all time?

Hurricane Fly and Jezki are again on a collision course for the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Hurricane Fly and Jezki face off for the sixth time at Leopardstown today in a fascinating clash for the Ryanair Hurdle.

A quality field of 15, including the last two winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, remain in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28.

Dethroned at Cheltenham last March and beaten again by his arch-rival at the Punchestown Festival, former dual-champion Hurricane Fly turned the tables on reigning champion Jezki in the Grade 1 Stanjames.com Morgiana Hurdle in Puncehstown yesterday.

Valseur Lido can make a successful debut over fences in the Gain Supporting Laois Beginners Chase at Punchestown this afternoon.

Ruby Walsh is confident he will be back riding in time for the Punchestown festival, which starts on Tuesday, April 29.

Bookmakers had their noses in front in the betting stakes after a dramatic day one of the Cheltenham Festival.

And so the great day has dawned.

Stan James Champion Hurdle

Willie Mullins has left Un De Sceaux in the Stan James Champion Hurdle alongside Hurricane Fly.

Hurricane Fly will face a maximum 11 rivals in his bid for a third Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday after veteran Captain Cee Bee was added to the field.

Ruby Walsh has admitted he would not have ridden Big Buck’s any differently in last Saturday’s Cleeve Hurdle.

Dessie Hughes is confident Our Conor will head to the Cheltenham Festival with a “fighting chance” of claiming Champion Hurdle glory after making Hurricane Fly pull out all the stops at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Hurricane Fly, who did a piece of work on the lead in to the race which was so bad that it shocked Willie Mullins, made no mistake to take a fourth successive Grade 1 BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown yesterday.

All eyes will be on Annie Power as Willie Mullins’ budding superstar bids to stretch her unbeaten record to 10 in the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster today.

Hurricane Fly will have to put a late scare behind him when he bids to claim an historic fourth successive victory in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Dessie Hughes insists Our Conor “couldn’t be better” ahead of his second crack at Hurricane Fly in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 26.

Hurricane Fly, Jezki and Our Conor, the respective first three home in the Ryanair Hurdle over Christmas, are among seven entries for the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle back at Leopardstown on January 26.

Brilliant Irish mare Annie Power strengthened her big-race claims when easing to an impressive success on her rain-soaked Cheltenham reconnaissance mission in the Dornan Engineering Hurdle yesterday.

Even by Ruby Walsh’s seriously high standards, this could only be described as an extraordinary ride.

Having already rattled off a century of winners in record time, Willie Mullins has this season taken his domination of Irish National Hunt racing to another level.

Two of last season’s star novices could face off in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday with Jezki and Rule The World on course to meet.

Having had a half-decent wager on Hurricane Fly in last year’s Champion Hurdle, I resolved immediately after the contest never to back him to win the race again.

Owner Barry Connell is looking forward to seeing Our Conor return to the jumping game next month following a satisfactory return to action on the Flat at Naas.

Hurricane Fly produced another scintillating display in the hands of Ruby Walsh to claim the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown for the fourth successive year.

Punchestown general manager Richie Galway admits parts of the track are likely to be heavy when the Festival gets underway tomorrow.

Bookmakers were battered on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival as punters piled into another feature-race winner.

I had planned to fly over last night but have been laid low by a chest infection since Friday.

Nicky Henderson has won the Champion Hurdle on five previous occasions and this year the Seven Barrows trainer has a trio of runners in 2010 winner Binocular, Grandouet and Khyber Kim.

Willie Mullins could not be happier with Hurricane Fly as his stable star bids to regain his crown in today’s Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Last Tuesday you had to wonder whether Hurricane Fly continued to be blessed with four legs.

Hurricane Fly will face a maximum of nine rivals when he aims to regain his crown in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

Navan on Tuesday and Punchestown on Wednesday provided valuable lessons for any punters who thought they had this game cracked.

Thousand Stars bids to make his first appearance at Navan a winning one when he lines up in the Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle today.