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Walsh
replaces Townend on Fly in Champion Hurdle |
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Leading Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins has announced that his strongly
fancied Stan James Champion Hurdle contender Hurricane Fly will be partnered
on Tuesday by Ruby Walsh and not Paul Townend, who has been in the saddle
for the gelding’s last six Grade 1 wins, writes Elliot Slater.
Walsh, who is first choice jockey for the Mullins yard when not riding for
his guv’nor Paul Nicholls, has invariably been claimed to ride one of the
Ditcheat handler’s hurdler’s in major events leaving Townend to have a clear
run with Hurricane Fly for very nearly two years. Indeed, Townend has only
once tasted defeat from seven rides on the star Irish seven-year-old, that
reverse coming on his seasonal bow last term when only third to Solwhit and
clearly looking in need of the outing.
Those who give UK and
Irish
racing tips feel that Townend has been rather hard done by in not being
able to continue his association with the in-form son of Montjeu, but
Mullins made it clear that Walsh would be on board whenever he was available
to ride, and with Paul Nicholls having no representative in this year’s
Champion Hurdle field, the choice was fairly straight-forward. Mullins went
on to confirm that Townend will be aboard his second string, the 25/1 shot
Thousand Stars (no mug in his own right and a winner of the County Hurdle at
last year’s Cheltenham Festival), in Tuesday’s big event.
Mullins also confirmed that Hurricane Fly worked in fine style at Cheltenham
racecourse on Saturday and that he couldn’t be happier with the condition of
the 7/2 second-favourite for the race, following the shock news that long
time ante-post favourite of |
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