Hurricane in flying form as Dunguib ruled out
The Philip Fenton-trained Dunguib had been due to make his first start since April’s Punchestown Festival, and was the 9-2 third-favourite with Paddy Power, who are to refund all bets on the eight-year-old, winner of the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2009.
Hurricane Fly is now a 1-2 chance with his old adversary Solwhit a 5-2 chance.
Fenton said: “Unfortunately he’s going to miss Sunday. We blood tested him this morning and it is not quite up to scratch so we are going to have to divert.
“The Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran (February 12) is the next assignment. Thankfully it’s nothing serious, it’s not a major blood problem and is treatable, it will just set him back 10 days or so.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Hurricane Fly has hitherto enjoyed a superb campaign, winning his two starts with consummate ease, and is the general second-favourite for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Mullins said: “I’m very happy with the horse going into the race.”
Solwhit won the race 12 months ago for the Charles Byrnes operation but has found Hurricane Fly a tough nut to crack recently.
Byrnes said: “Solwhit is going to run in the Irish Champion.
“He has come out of the Paddy Power Festival Hurdle very well when the race turned into a sprint.
“He would have preferred more of a gallop, although he would still not have beaten Hurricane Fly but they would then probably have been a long way ahead of the third.
“The chances of beating Hurricane Fly on Sunday are very, very slim as Hurricane appears to be settling better in his races now and he is much better at the end of his races than he previously was.
“But there is good prize-money – €22,000 for second place – but that won’t be easy as there are a few other good ones in it.”
Voler La Vedette is the only mare in contention for the Grade One prize and is reported by Colm Murphy to be on course for the race.
Mullins has also left in Thousand Stars, while former champion hurdler Sublimity remains in contention.
Paddy Power bet: 1-2 Hurricane Fly, 5-2 Solwhit, 12-1 Voler La Vedette, 20-1 Sublimity, 25-1 Thousand Stars
Meanwhile, Peddlers Cross is bang on course to put his unbeaten record on the line in the stanjames.com Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock on Saturday.
Donald McCain’s six-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newbury in November and will make his final racecourse appearance before the Cheltenham Festival in Merseyside this weekend.
“Peddlers Cross is on course for the final race in his Champion Hurdle preparation,” said the trainer.
“There will be a maximum of seven opponents on Saturday and it looks an ideal opportunity, bearing in mind that he won at this meeting prior to his Cheltenham victory in 2010.”
McCain has a fascinating second string to his Champion Hurdle bow in the shape of Overturn.
The seven-year-old chased home reigning champion hurdler Binocular in the rearranged Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday, earning him a 4lb rise in the ratings to 163.
That hike means he is actually a pound higher than his stable companion, a move which mystifies McCain given Peddlers Cross had Binocular behind at Newbury.
“Overturn ran fantastically well at Kempton on Saturday in what was his first run for five months,” McCain continued.
“He jumped well in front, rallied when the others came to him and was only beaten three and three-quarter lengths by Binocular, a horse having his second run of the season.
“In a move that brought out the ’has the world gone mad?’ in me, the handicapper has seen fit to officially rate Overturn a pound higher than Peddlers Cross.
“Now, I am only a trainer, but I struggle to understand how Overturn can be rated higher than Peddlers Cross.”
