Memorable performances - Hurricane Fly's best bits in the Leopardstown Irish Champion Hurdle Hurricane Fly was the darling of the Irish racing public during his brilliant career. Renowned as one of the toughest two-mile hurdlers around, he was also able to bounce back from setbacks, both on and off the track. Amongst his landmark tally of 22 wins at the top level, Hurricane Fly won the Irish Champion Hurdle on a record five occasions. Here we are recalling the brilliance of the George Creighton-owned, Willie Mullins-trained star around Leopardstown in that two-mile showpiece race. Marking his card at Leopardstown - 2011 Irish Champion Hurdle He was to make Leopardstown his very own playground in a record-breaking career and Hurricane Fly turned in a stunning performance to win his first Irish Champion Hurdle. By now he had claimed the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle and the December Festival Hurdle at the Foxrock track in two visits. Solwhit was second in the latter race and joined the likes of Thousand Stars and Voler La Vedette as well as an aging Sublimity in lining up with Hurricane Fly in January 2011. Paul Townend was deputising for the injured Ruby Walsh on this afternoon and his mount travelled strongly before kicking three-and-a-half-lengths clear of Solwhit for Charles Byrnes and Davy Russell in second spot. Doubling up in style - 2012 Irish Champion Hurdle Having won his first Champion at odds of 4/9, Hurricane Fly was sent off a 4/5 chance to retain his crown 12 months later despite being unbeaten in the interim in his two runs. Those wins had come at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2011 where he fended off Peddlers Cross to win his first Champion Hurdle in the Cotswolds and in the Punchestown version that same May. He was slightly late back from his winter break but with Walsh on board they proved a class apart once more at Leopardstown, hitting the front in the home straight and winning by more than six-lengths as Oscars Well took second for Jessie Harrington and Robbie Power with Thousand Stars in third. Hat-trick comes easy for the Fly - 2013 Irish Champion Hurdle He surrendered the Cheltenham crown in 2012 when Rock On Ruby won but Hurricane Fly made a habit of rebounding in his career and had tagged on a trio of Irish Grade 1 wins when he stepped out at Leopardstown in January 2013 to go for his third Irish Champion. Nicky Henderson's Binocular, himself a Champion Hurdle winner, was second-favourite but finished only third behind the 1/6 jolly, Walsh's partner enjoying a processional success as the tough grey Thousand Stars held off Binocular for second spot. Terrific battle with Our Conor — 2014 Irish Champion Hurdle By the time he returned for his fourth Irish Champion Hurdle win, the brilliant Hurricane Fly had reclaimed his Cheltenham crown in 2013, dethroning Rock On Ruby into second spot. He started this season with a Morgiana Hurdle win at Punchestown and a Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle win over C&D at Christmas, but found himself in a real skirmish in the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle. Our Conor had torched his rivals in the previous season's Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham but was well held behind Hurricane Fly at Christmas. This time it was much closer, the pair neck-and-neck running to the final hurdle where The Fly made a slight error and briefly handed the initiative to Danny Mullins' mount. The champ dug deep and rallied in the dash for the line, showing his gutsy side to land a fourth win. Six weeks later, he was fourth as his old sparring partner Jezki won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham — a contest marred by the fatal fall of Our Conor early on. The final fling - 2015 Irish Champion Hurdle Now an 11-year-old, Hurricane Fly secured the 22nd and final Grade 1 win of his astonishing career with his fifth Irish Champion Hurdle. He proved too good for Arctic Fire in second, with Jezki in third and a five-year-old Tiger Roll back in fourth. He was an honourable third as his trainer Willie Mullins won the 2015 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham with Faugheen in what proved his Cotswolds swansong. He had two spins later that season over three-miles before connections opted for a happy retirement. His five Irish Champion Hurdle wins were part of a 10-race unbeaten sequence around Leopardstown — where Hurricane Fly is now immortalised with his own statue!
