Fly buzzing for Punchestown

CHAMPION Hurdle hero Hurricane Fly remains on course to round off his season at the Punchestown Festival.

The son of Montjeu has had his fair share of injury problems over the past few seasons but showed just what he is capable of with a brilliant performance at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old is now being targeted at back-to-back victories in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle on May 6.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: “He’s fine and he’s been riding out since he came home. He seems in great order and I think it’s all systems go for Punchestown.

“We’ve learnt a lot about him and the key to him has been Paul (Townend) keeping him quiet at home – Paul knows him inside out and doesn’t let him do too much.

“I hope there might be more improvement in him. He would have learned an awful lot the other day going in a race like that, rather than running in small field races in Ireland on slower ground.”

Meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies said yesterday there was a “small chance” deposed Gold Cup hero Imperial Commander will head to Punchestown for the Guinness Gold Cup.

Imperial Commander was reported fully recovered from his Cheltenham exertions, when he was pulled up after bursting a blood vessel for the first time in his career during his Gold Cup defence.

The ten-year-old is now back in work and, while the Grand National meeting will come too soon, Twiston-Davies said there was an outside chance Imperial Commander would travel to Punchestown for a second attempt at the track's Gold Cup - he was pulled up in the race in 2009.

He said: “Imperial Commander is 100 per cent and for the rest of the season we are just feeling it as we go.

“He’s back in work and there is a small chance he might go to Punchestown, but we don’t know yet and he won't go to Aintree.”

Should Imperial Commander head to Punchestown there is a possibility he will again cross swords with Kauto Star, who is being considered for the Punchestown race by Paul Nicholls.