Harrington Joy At Macs Progress Jessica Harrington believes the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle is shaping up to be 'one hell of a race' ahead of Macs Joy's return in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran on Saturday.The eight-year-old finished runner-up to Brave Inca at the Cheltenham Festival in 2006 and Harrington hopes to go one better next month.Before that, however, Macs Joy will look to build on an encouraging seasonal return in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle when he lines up in the Grade Two heat at the weekend.'I'm looking forward to Saturday, he appears to have come out of his last race race very well indeed,' said Harrington.'He went to the Curragh on Wednesday and had a little breeze and appears fine.'We are hoping for the best and hoping that the ground will not be too heavy on Saturday ? but you have to take what you can get at this time of year.'He looked like he was out of it in the AIG going down the back but he picked up once they got in to the straight and got virtually in to contention.'He did it well at Punchestown before that and there is very little between the top hurdlers. And with Detroit City in the mix as well this year, you have got a hell of a race,' she told At The Races.Macs Joy is 8-1 with bet365 for the Champion Hurdle.(C) PA Sport
