Willie Mullins is convinced Hurricane Fly will improve by at least 5lb before the record-breaker bids to win the Champion Hurdle for a third time at Cheltenham in March.

The nine-year-old took his tally of Grade One victories to 18 when lifting the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, defeating Jezki and Our Conor in fine style.

Hurricane Fly will return to Leopardstown next month for the Irish Champion Hurdle before attempting to retain his Cheltenham crown.

"He seems fine, I suppose he's tired and you know he'd had a race. He lost a bit of weight, but he's eaten and doing everything right," the champion jumps trainer said yesterday.

'Tactical race'

“It was a very tactical race and obviously Jezki got into trouble, Our Conor got a very clear run and our fella had way more tactical speed than the two of them. We know he stays, so I’m very happy with the position at the moment.

“I’ve easily got 5lb to work on. I’ve been saying this fella is stronger than he ever was before.

“It’s extraordinary for a horse his age and I think I’ve got plenty left. I’ve been saying that all along and I’m happy with that.

"He was beaten at Cheltenham one year when things didn't go right for us, but every other time he's been fine.

'People's memories'
"I just think the fact he disappointed the year he did that sticks in people's memories. The Irish Champion and then Cheltenham is the plan."

Phil Smith, the British Horseracing Authority head of senior handicapping, felt Hurricane Fly showed his superiority despite the race not being run to suit. "He's the best around at the moment. It was a bit of a messy race," he said.

“The way the race was run didn’t actually help any of them with Captain Cee Bee going off 20 lengths clear and so on and he’s only been beaten around 10 lengths by the winner and we know what Captain Cee Bee can and cannot do.

"I suspect that Jezki has probably improved a bit, Hurricane Fly has run below his best but still won comfortably and Our Conor was below his best.

'He's won easily'
"He ran to just about 170. We think he's won easily in the end. If we were giving them handicap marks to try to get equality between them next time, we'd want Hurricane Fly to be giving Jezki 5lb judged on that race yesterday.

“The winner came there cruising and he was by far the best horse in the race.”

Dessie Hughes is expecting an improved display from Our Conor in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle after being encouraged by his comeback run at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Last season's brilliant Triumph Hurdle winner was third behind Hurricane Fly and Jezki in the Ryanair Hurdle on his return from injury and is set to head back to the Dublin track on January 26, when he could renew rivalries with his old adversaries.

'Happy enough'
"He's fine. I was happy enough he got so close. He jumped the last upsides," said Hughes.

“He didn’t have the finest preparation in the world after he got hurt at Naas and was laid up for three weeks to a month.

“You could call it his first run – Naas was a waste of time – so it was a gutsy performance.

“He’ll come on for that. He came on a lot from Leopardstown (Spring Juvenile Hurdle success in February) to Cheltenham last year.

“It’s the Irish Champion next time and he’ll be ready for it.”