RACING:HURRICANE FLY might be set to finally reappear in Leopardstown's BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at the end of the month but his presence won't prevent Dermot Weld from targeting his star filly Unaccompanied at the same race.
A decisive defeat of Hurricane Fly’s stable companion Thousand Stars at Leopardstown over Christmas propelled Unaccompanied into the Champion Hurdle picture at Cheltenham and she is currently a 14 to 1 shot in ante-post betting for that race.
The Moyglare Stud-owned mare is also as low as 5 to 1 in some lists for the David Nicholson Hurdle at the festival but Weld is prepared to take on the champion hurdler himself in Unaccompanied’s next start in order to find out more.
“If we are to think about the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham then she needs more experience at this level, so she goes to Leopardstown next, irrespective of what else is in the race,” the Curragh trainer said yesterday.
“She is in super order and I couldn’t be happier with her, or the way she has come out of her last race. Taking on these top horses will be a good education for her,” Weld added.
Unease about Hurricane Fly not making the field for the Morgiana in November or at Leopardstown over Christmas, was put to bed when the 2011 Horse of the Year impressed in a racecourse workout on Thursday.
Another of the small but select National Hunt team that Dermot Weld handles, Hidden Universe, is likely to be sent over fences for his next start. Winner of the November Handicap on the flat a couple of months ago, he was one of the better novice hurdlers in Ireland last season and Weld reported: “I think he can be a very good dual-purpose horse and I’m looking to start him off in a novice chase sometime in early spring.”
Thurles stages some black-type action this afternoon and no time is wasted getting into either with the Grade Three Beamish Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase first up.
On the face of it Paul Townend looks set for a successful return to action after a week off as Quel Esprit is rated at least a stone clear of his four rivals.
The form figures might indicate a slightly different story though as in five starts over fences Quel Esprit has hit the deck three times. There has also been an element of bad luck, crashing out at the second in last season’s Moriarty and doing the same at the third last in the RSA at Cheltenham.
Worst of all he started favourite for a Grade One at Punchestown and did nothing wrong only to be hampered and brought down by a loose horse. When Quel Esprit stands up, he wins; and that should be the case today with his jumping hardly likely to come under serious pressure.
Townend also teams up with Quaquo de Flotte in the maiden hurdle, while Willie Mullins could enjoy another bumper day at Thurles if Mozoltov goes one better than his course debut last February in the bumper.
It is 22 months since Berties Dream last won, and that was his memorable Albert Bartlett victory at the Cheltenham festival. Now with Henry De Bromhead, he can go one better than his head defeat by Start Me Up last time in the three-mile Beginners Chase.
