HURRICANE FLY has a date with a vet today that could determine whether or not he makes the Cheltenham festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained star is currently a joint favourite with his stable companion Cousin Vinny for the Supreme Novices Hurdle but his preparations have been thrown into doubt by a splint problem that surfaced nine days ago.

“I’m going to have to start training him for Cheltenham this week and we’ll have to see if he can take it,” Mullins said at Naas yesterday.

“He made progress last week. He is still a little bit lame and warms up a bit when he works but obviously it is not ideal. As a trainer you’re always worried if you keep going with a horse that he might cause a different injury covering up for another one. It’s a fine line,” he added.

The champion trainer admitted he has never had a crop of horses to compare with what he has now. “They are probably the best yard of horses I’ve ever had, both bumper horses and other horses. Everything has come right,” he said.

“I could have over a dozen entries in the bumper. A lot then will depend on how the handicappers rate them in a ballot.”

However, Mullins will not be focusing on handicaps at the festival and said: “I’m not a lover of the English handicapper. I ran 15 or 16 horses in English handicaps last year and none got near the first eight. I don’t see any point.”

Dessie Hughes is happy with the form of Grand National favourite Black Apalachi.

“That’s it for him now (before the National), he’s done enough. He had the run over hurdles and that run on Saturday so I’m happy to go straight there now.”