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2012 Irish Champion Hurdle Odds: Hurricane Fly favourite for much anticipated racecourse return

Leopardstown hosts the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday, with last year's winner of both the Irish and UK Champion two mile hurdle divisions Hurricane Fly set to go off the odds on favourite. Paddy Power go 8/13 about trainer Willie Mullins' eight year old who is now unbeaten in his last six starts and beaten just the once in his ten starts in the UK and Ireland. However, an injury plagued career saw him sit out the Cheltenham Festival in 2009 and 2010 before scoring in his first attempt last season by winning the Champion Hurdle in fine style.

Hurricane Fly is currently the 7/4 favourite to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and a win on Sunday will see those odds take a tumble in what looks to be a strong renewal. Injury has once again ruled the eight year old out of any action so far this season following a late scratching from the Morgiana Hurdle last November. Mullins also decided to pull him out of the Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas but looks set to race on Sunday and on best form will take some beating.

Second in the betting is the Dermot Weld trained mare Unnaccompanied at odds of 3/1 with Paddy Power. The five year old was the main beneficiary from Hurricane Fly missing the Festival Hurdle as she took the spoils in fine style. She was second in behind Zarkandar in the Triumph Hurdle at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival which looks to be very solid form despite Paul Nicholls' horse not having run since. However, Grandouet who was third behind Unaccompanied that day has since gone on to win the Grade 2 International Hurdle whilst Brampour (9th in Triumph) has also trained on well. The betting for the 2012 Champion Hurdle tells us that Grandouet (6/1) and Zarkandar (7/1) are shorter priced than Unaccompanied who is a best price 12/1 with Paddy Power. Much like Hurricane Fly, a good performance from Weld's five year old and we can expect her odds to be clipped in for March's showpiece and she could be his closest rival getting a weight allowance.

Nicky Henderson sends across 2010 Champion Hurdle winner Binocular (5/1) as he looks to get one last prep run into him before he bids to regain his title. The horse missed the Champion Hurdle last season as he came up positive for a banned substance and since then he's come back this year flopping in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle before battling in royally to win the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day. He has nine lengths to find on Hurricane Fly who beat him at the Punchestown Festival last season and he's never one you can back with any confidence.

Further down the betting is Thousand Stars at 7/1. The grey is stablemate to Hurricane Fly and ably deputised when winning the Morgiana Hurdle but didn't have enough to beat Unaccompanied in the Festival Hurdle. Oscars Well is an 8/1 shot with Paddy Power and is the ante-post pricewise tip for the 2012 Champion Hurdle. The Jessica Harrington trained seven year old looked to have won the Neptune Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2011 before clattering the last but has struggled since finishing in behind both Unaccompanied and Thousand Stars on his last two starts.

9/1 chance Voler La Vedette looks certain to race at Gowran Park instead of take her chances here so is best left alone. Zaidpour and So Young were both promising novices last season but are 20/1 to score an upset here, with Pittoni (25/1) and Kalann (40/1) making up the numbers.

2012 Irish Champion Hurdle Odds

8/13 Hurricane Fly
3/1 Unaccompanied
5/1 Binocular
7/1 Thousand Stars
8/1 Oscars Well
9/1 Voler La Vedette
20/1 Zaidpour
20/1 So Young
25/1 Pittoni
40/1 Kalann

Odds supplied by PaddyPower.com, offering best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing.

Posted: Monday, 23rd January 2012
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: irish champion hurdle, leopardstown, hurricane fly, unaccompanied, paddypower,

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