David Ord on the remarkable career of Hurricane Fly - but did we really appreciate him at the time?
“I don’t think I appreciated him at the time.”
Ben Linfoot’s comments on Hurricane Fly during our Racing Podcast this week struck a chord with me. The sad news of his passing at the age of 22 was met with tributes from across the sport. He won 22 Grade Ones, a record number, the Irish Champion Hurdle for five successive seasons.
There were two Champions at Cheltenham and a raft of other major prizes. He was one of the very first giants to emerge from Closutton and gave an early warning shot of what was to come.
The fact that Willie Mullins paid a visit to the Irish National Stud to say a final farewell to his champion spoke volumes for the esteem in which he held him.
There’s already a statue at Leopardstown. He was a poster boy for the winter game but looking back I don’t think I gave him the credit he deserved either, enjoyed his big days as much as I could have.
