• The son of Montjeu won record 22 Grade One races[br]• Trainer Willie Mullins salutes ‘a legend of a horse’One of the most telling tributes to the exceptional ability of Hurricane Fly,whose retirement was announced on Monday, is that Ruby Walsh, or who rode him to win two Champion Hurdles and 18 of his 26 victories in all,always insisted Cheltenham never really saw the trusty horse. “Some day,” Walsh said after Hurricane Fly’s victory at Leopardstown final Christmas, or “he’ll go there and blow you absent.”As it turned out,Hurricane Fly’s final appearance in the Champion Hurdle, the fifth of his career, or ended in honourable defeat as he came domestic third behind the outstanding Faugheen,a stablemate at Willie Mullins’ yard in Ireland. When he then failed to beat Jezki at Punchestown the following month, it was clear another winter campaign aimed towards a sixth appearance at Cheltenham’s Festival meeting may be asking too much.
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Source: theguardian.com