Willie Mullins has admitted to feeling a mixture of dread and excitement as he prepares to unleash a scarcely believable army of equine talent on the Cheltenham Festival.

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

Hurricane Fly is likely to have a stablemate or two for company in 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.

It’s Punchestown for me over the next two days, with the battle between Hurricane Fly and Jezki in tomorrow’s Morgiana Hurdle likely to prove the big talking point of the weekend.

I doubt there is a racing fan that will want to miss the battle between Hurricane Fly and Jezki in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown today.

Willie Mullins’ winning machine may have an enviable record but he is still pigeon-holed as the Robbie Keane of racing.

Boston Bob is all set to take in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran on Thursday as he builds-up to challenge for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Defending champion Hurricane Fly heads 18 entries for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 11.

Well, those who were of the opinion that most of the top horses in the country were housed in the one place, at Willie Mullins’, discovered it wasn’t quite as simple as that over the four days of the Leopardstown Christmas festival Mullins had a reasonably good meeting, winning six of the 28 races, but his dominance was nowhere near as pronounced as some might have anticipated.

Hurricane Fly won an extraordinary 18th Grade One race when superbly defending his title in a star-studded renewal of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown.

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.

Captain Cee Bee will try to defy his advancing years and defend his title in tomorrow’s Grade Two Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle.

Sprinter Sacre might have been below-par the last time he was seen in action at Punchestown but he was still able to finish by far and away the top chaser of the Anglo-Irish Jump Classifications, published yesterday.

Hurricane Fly joined Kauto Star as a 16-times Grade 1 winner when cruising to victory for Ruby Walsh in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last evening.

Today is all about one of my favourite horses, Hurricane Fly, in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle.

British royal Zara Phillips is to be presented with a stunning drawing of herself and her horse Lord Lauries at Ballindenisk Horse Trials, Co Cork, this weekend.

Hurricane Fly has regained his crown under Ruby Walsh in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Hurricane Fly has won the Champion Hurdle under Ruby Walsh at Cheltenham.

Ruby Walsh does not believe Hurricane Fly has been seen at his very best on either of his previous two trips to the Cheltenham Festival.

Willie Mullins feels Hurricane Fly is back to the level he was at two years ago as the nine-year-old prepares to go in search of his third BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle crown in succession at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Hurricane Fly can cement his position near the top of the Champion Hurdle market by landing the Grade 1 Istabraq Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown this afternoon.

Sir Des Champs could yet travel to Kempton to contest the William Hill King George VI Chase on St Stephen’s Day with trainer Willie Mullins describing his decision as to whether to run in that race or the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown as “a 50/50 call”.

Hurricane Fly put his disappointing run at Cheltenham behind him by claiming his third successive victory in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

I am very hopeful that Quel Esprit can deliver in the Gold Cup at Punchestown today.

The dust had hardly settled on Cheltenham before Rod Street, chief executive of Racing For Change, reopened the debate on whether the festival should start on a Wednesday and finish on a Saturday.

Punters were left shocked when Hurricane Fly finished third in the Champion Hurdle behind Rock On Ruby and Overturn.

Rock On Ruby ran out a most impressive winner of the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham under Noel Fehily.

Kauto Star is only “50-50” to make the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup after a fall when schooling last week, according to trainer Paul Nicholls.

This has traditionally been the time of year when Binocular causes Nicky Henderson a major problem, but the trainer believes his troublesome gelding could just be in the shape to redeem himself in the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly makes his eagerly-awaited seasonal reappearance in tomorrow’s BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, where he will face four rivals.

WILLIE Mullins reports Hurricane Fly (right) to be “100%” ahead of his planned seasonal return in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

HURRICANE FLY was named Horse of the Year at the annual Irish Horse Racing Awards ceremony at Leopardstown yesterday.

Hurricane Fly could make his seasonal debut in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in November.

Hurricane Fly cemented his position as the number one with a brilliant victory in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

HURRICANE FLY has to be the fancy to outclass his five rivals in the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

Willie Mullins is refusing to look beyond Sunday’s BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle with his brilliant performer Hurricane Fly.

HURRICANE FLY will face a maximum of six rivals in the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown after Dunguib was ruled out of Sunday’s Grade One feature with a minor blood disorder.

THE conclusion to be drawn - following yesterday’s paddypower.com IPhone December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown - is that whatever beats Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham will win the Champion Hurdle.

Hurricane Fly made a tremendous reappearance to deny his old rival Solwhit again in a thrilling finish to the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse today.

WITH the Fighting Fifth Hurdle being moved to Newbury, we have a proper day’s racing.

HURRICANE FLY, the medium of positive reports of late, can take the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown this evening.

Hurricane Fly still faces a race against time to be fit for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in March as he continues to recover from a suspensory ligament injury.