Hardy Eustace Better Than Last Year

Trainer Dessie Hughes today issued a positive bulletin ahead of Hardy Eustace´s bid for a second successive Smurfit Champion Hurdle victory at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

The eight-year-old, who is 5/1 with Coral to land the hurdling championship again on March 15, was paraded at Hughes´ snow-covered Curragh stables on a Cheltenham Racecourse-organised press day.

'You could not be confident, but I am very happy with him and he is better than he was this time last year,' said Hughes. 'He is a very easy horse and definitely the best we have ever had.'

Hardy Eustace will again wear blinkers in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and the trainer added: 'He will have the blinkers again - he probably does not need them but it just means that if he has to go off in front he will concentrate more.

'He will be fine in the race as long as there is a good pace and, if nothing else goes on, then he will. He is a two and a half mile horse really and stamina will never be a problem for him.

'I wouldn´t say that this year´s race is the Irish monopoly that a lot of people are talking about - the Irish horses are very good but Rooster Booster is possibly the danger for me.

'I have been very happy with his preparation so far and to be spot-on on the day you cannot have the horse 100% in December. He needed the run behind Solerina and I think the ground was against him at Leopardstown where he was a bit disappointing.

'But he ran a tremendous race in the AIG Champion Hurdle when perhaps needing the run and is just a natural athlete.'

Hardy Eustace was the easy winner of the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on February 12.

Highes concluded: 'Akhtari is running at Fairyhouse on Saturday and, if he runs well, he will book his ticket for the Royal & Sun Alliance Novices´ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.'

Oulart is another of the trainer´s possibles for The Festival, being engaged in the Pertemps Final on March 17, while Hardy Duckett might go for the Coral Cup, for which he is a 33/1 chance with the sponsor.