Fly sidelined with ligament injury Hurricane Fly has suffered a ligament injury that puts his Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle bid in doubt. Trainer Willie Mullins told the Racing Post: "Unfortunately Hurricane Fly has sprained a suspensory ligament. He is definitely out of Leopardstown (over Christmas) and you would have to say that Cheltenham is in serious doubt." Hurricane Fly was vying for favouritism (top-priced 11/2 with Paddy Power) for the hurdling crown at the Festival in March. The five-year-old appears to have stabilised at around the 28/1 mark on Betfair for the Champion Hurdle having drifted to a market-high of 47/1 immediately after the news from Mullins was released yesterday evening. The market re-shuffle has done little to clarify the Champion Hurdle picture though, with Zaynar, Binocular and Solwhit the 11/2 co-favourites on Betfair. Solwhit is into 7/4 favourite on Betfair for the December Christmas Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29, following Hurricane Fly's withdrawal from the race. Muirhead is 3/1, with Voler La Vedette at 7/2 and it's about 10/1 bar those three. Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said: "Given that Hurricane Fly was about a 6/1 chance before the news of his injury broke, the Betfair betting suggests he is about a 3/1 chance to get to Cheltenham."
