Hurricane Fly to miss Morgiana Hurdle

Hurricane Fly will not run in the Ladbrokes.com Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

Last season’s Champion Hurdle winner, unbeaten on his last six starts, was a short-priced favourite to make a winning return, but is to swerve the Grade One contest over two miles.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: “He’s not running on Sunday. I’ve advised he be taken out of the betting.”

The seven-year-old gelding was last seen defeating stablemate Thousand Stars, who still holds an entry in the Morgiana, in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May.

Hurricane Fly also missed the Morgiana 12 months ago as he was suffering with a cough.

Mullins’ exceptional hurdler has had a stop-start career since arriving in Ireland from France.

He was restricted to just two outings in 2009, missing the Cheltenham Festival of that year after failing to recover from a splint problem.

Hurricane Fly was also forced on to the sidelines for the 2010 Festival after sustaining a suspensory ligament injury.