The 2012 Champion Hurdle looks to be at the mercy of defending champion Hurricane Fly and the nation’s leading bookmakers will be looking to duck the Irish raider ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.
Last year’s winner will head to Prestbury Park as an odds-on shot and his sensational reappearance in the Irish Champion Hurdle in January proved that he is roaring ahead of the world famous meeting.
Before the superstar could enter the winner’s enclosure at Leaoprdstown the Hurricane Fly best odds had been backed off the boards and canny punters were looking at the French import as banker material in the opening day feature.
The Hurricane Fly Champion Hurdle betting will have been of great interest to ante post punters in the build-up to next month’s National Hunt showpiece and his price was slashed after he powered to his facile victory on his seasonal debut.
Now trainer Willie Mullins will be hoping that his talented and equally fragile stable star can make his way to Cheltenham in one piece and confirm he is the best hurdler to cross the Irish Sea since the mighty Istabraq.
Quotes coming out of the Mullins stable would suggest he is in the form of his life ahead of the Grade One showpiece and with Ruby Walsh set to take the ride it is looking highly likely that the money will continue to arrive for the superstar.
One thing is for certain, if Hurricane Fly does win at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival then the bookmakers could be facing a bumper payout at Prestbury Park.