Fitz ready for clash with Stars Michael Winters feels Rebel Fitz will never have a better chance of beating Thousand Stars than in the Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle on Sunday. Rebel Fitz has been on a great run through the summer, winning three on the bounce including the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle and the valuable Galway Hurdle. He gave weight and a beating to some decent types last time out but now he comes up against a real top-notcher in Thousand Stars, last seen winning the French Champion Hurdle and a real standing dish in all the major races throughout the season. Winters said: "He looks great and this will tell us a fair bit. We're getting 5lb from Thousand Stars and on the ratings we don't have much to find with him after that. Realistically this is our best chance to beat him. He is coming back from a break and we're pretty fit. "Thousand Stars is a tough horse, but maybe these days he might want a little bit further than two miles. Two and a half might be his best trip. "If he comes up short we might have a little talk and think about fences, we'll just see how he does. "I just hope the ground doesn't get cut up. If it's heavy and they can get through it that's not so bad, but when it gets cut up and they have to pick their legs up higher it takes more out of them. It will be the first race on the hurdles track, so that's a bonus."
