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Never backed him, but he was a superstar and would easily have given Istabraq half a stone, even at Cheltenham, imo. (Always thought Istabraq much overrated).
As Ruby pointed out, as well as his physical toughness, his mental fortitude was astounding, especially for one who’s been involved in many battles. Very few horses at any level maintain such a hearty appetite for racing for so long, never mind those competing almost exclusively at Grade 1 level.
Wonderful horse, wonderfully handled by all associated with him. Delighted to see him go out sound and still close to the top echelon. May he have a long and happy retirement on lush Irish grass.
In the movie version, final scene, Robert Redford will find the Fly’s balls secreted in a cryogenic chamber by a long-dead old stableman who always knew the young horse would be a star.
Bring in the mares, cue violins and break out the Kleenex . . .
Some of the posts here lads questioning the hurricane
– Level of form
– facing grade 2 horses
– ability of the horses he faced
– short price fav
Sorry steve to pick a few of yours. Its just when I was reading these it reminded me of the fantastic letter Patrick mullins wrote a few years ago after the hurricane had won his 17th. Here it is in full below“I feel I have to respond to the comments by Simon Holt and Dave Edwards about Hurricane Fly in the Weekender of November 20.
Simon says Fly has won “uncompetitive contests — 11 of them at odds-on — which barely deserved their lofty status”, while Dave says he has done his winning in “fields of six or less against the same opposition”. Both are, I would suggest, wrong and their views are coloured by them not rating Irish races highly, simply because they aren’t run in England.
In his “uncompetitive” and “small field” races, Fly has beaten more than 20 Grade One winners, 12 of them Cheltenham Festival winners and 16 of them multiple Grade One winners. This group have won two Champion Hurdles, three Supreme
Novices’ Hurdles, two Triumph Hurdles, three Christmas Hurdles, three Fighting Fifth Hurdles and four Aintree Hurdles among the 50 Grade Ones they have won altogether.Fly also beat Literato (winner of the Group One Champion Stakes) and Spirit One (winner of the Grade One Arlington Million) into second and third in a Listed race in France.
It is also important to remember Hurricane Fly missed the 2009 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the 2010 Champion Hurdle, won by Go Native and Binocular. He has beaten both of them, while neither has beaten him. Add to this the four other
possible Grade Ones he missed around this time and three possible ones he missed in 2011/12 and he would seem unlucky not to have won more than 17.In 14 of his Grade One wins, the second horse has won two or more Grade Ones. Only twice has he had a non-Grade One winner finish second to him. Uncompetitive? A small field doesn’t mean it’s a bad race. It is harder to beat one good horse than ten average ones.
Being odds-on shows nothing other than you are going to be very hard to beat, as a champion should be. Frankel was odds-on in all of his Grade Ones. Black Caviar was regularly sent off at 1/20. Istabraq was nearly always odds-on and I would imagine it is difficult to get odds against on Usain Bolt any time he lines up.
There seems to be a thing about Fly beating Solwhit (five times) and Thousand Stars (three times) into second. Frankel beat Excelebration four times, at odds-on every time without leaving his home soil, but that, quite rightly, does not take away from his amazing legacy. Exotic Dancer was placed five times behind Kauto Star, but again this doesn’t take away from Kauto Star being one of the sport’s greats.
Solwhit has won eight Grade One races, five in Ireland and three in England. He beat Punjabi into second at Punchestown after Punjabi had won the Champions Hurdle, with Quevega and Sizing Europe in third and fourth. He also beat Sublimity, another Champion Hurdle winner, into second at Leopardstown. I dare anyone to describe him as anything other than a genuine Grade One horse.
Thousand Stars has won a Grade One over 2m in Ireland, two Grade Ones over 3m in France and was twice beaten only a neck in a Grade One over 2m4f in England. Indeed he beat Binocular at Punchestown in 2011 when second to Fly and beat Rock On Ruby at Punchestown 2013 when again second to Fly. The last two British-trained Champion Hurdle winners couldn’t beat Thousand Stars over 2m at Punchestown. He was only a length off The New One in Aintree this year. He can only be described as a genuine Grade One horse.
Hurricane Fly made these horses look ordinary and some have assumed they are. However, they have both won Grade Ones outside Ireland, as well as in. When there is a champion, the competition looks weak because one is so far ahead of the rest. Hurricane Fly defied history in regaining his title after losing it. He has broken a world record despite having three periods of missed time. He has beaten the best over hurdles for the past five years, as well as Group One winners on the Flat, and he is a champion. Show him the respect he deserves.”
PATRICK MULLINS,
County Carlow.
Very comprehensive reply; I remember the Fly being criticized for ‘only’ beating Solwhit, when Solwhit was probably the second best hurdler in training
Some of the posts here lads questioning the hurricane
– Level of form
– facing grade 2 horses
– ability of the horses he faced
– short price fav
Sorry steve to pick a few of yours. Its just when I was reading these it reminded me of the fantastic letter Patrick mullins wrote a few years ago after the hurricane had won his 17th. Here it is in full below“I feel I have to respond to the comments by Simon Holt and Dave Edwards about Hurricane Fly in the Weekender of November 20.
Simon says Fly has won “uncompetitive contests — 11 of them at odds-on — which barely deserved their lofty status”, while Dave says he has done his winning in “fields of six or less against the same opposition”. Both are, I would suggest, wrong and their views are coloured by them not rating Irish races highly, simply because they aren’t run in England.
In his “uncompetitive” and “small field” races, Fly has beaten more than 20 Grade One winners, 12 of them Cheltenham Festival winners and 16 of them multiple Grade One winners. This group have won two Champion Hurdles, three Supreme
Novices’ Hurdles, two Triumph Hurdles, three Christmas Hurdles, three Fighting Fifth Hurdles and four Aintree Hurdles among the 50 Grade Ones they have won altogether.Fly also beat Literato (winner of the Group One Champion Stakes) and Spirit One (winner of the Grade One Arlington Million) into second and third in a Listed race in France.
It is also important to remember Hurricane Fly missed the 2009 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the 2010 Champion Hurdle, won by Go Native and Binocular. He has beaten both of them, while neither has beaten him. Add to this the four other
possible Grade Ones he missed around this time and three possible ones he missed in 2011/12 and he would seem unlucky not to have won more than 17.In 14 of his Grade One wins, the second horse has won two or more Grade Ones. Only twice has he had a non-Grade One winner finish second to him. Uncompetitive? A small field doesn’t mean it’s a bad race. It is harder to beat one good horse than ten average ones.
Being odds-on shows nothing other than you are going to be very hard to beat, as a champion should be. Frankel was odds-on in all of his Grade Ones. Black Caviar was regularly sent off at 1/20. Istabraq was nearly always odds-on and I would imagine it is difficult to get odds against on Usain Bolt any time he lines up.
There seems to be a thing about Fly beating Solwhit (five times) and Thousand Stars (three times) into second. Frankel beat Excelebration four times, at odds-on every time without leaving his home soil, but that, quite rightly, does not take away from his amazing legacy. Exotic Dancer was placed five times behind Kauto Star, but again this doesn’t take away from Kauto Star being one of the sport’s greats.
Solwhit has won eight Grade One races, five in Ireland and three in England. He beat Punjabi into second at Punchestown after Punjabi had won the Champions Hurdle, with Quevega and Sizing Europe in third and fourth. He also beat Sublimity, another Champion Hurdle winner, into second at Leopardstown. I dare anyone to describe him as anything other than a genuine Grade One horse.
Thousand Stars has won a Grade One over 2m in Ireland, two Grade Ones over 3m in France and was twice beaten only a neck in a Grade One over 2m4f in England. Indeed he beat Binocular at Punchestown in 2011 when second to Fly and beat Rock On Ruby at Punchestown 2013 when again second to Fly. The last two British-trained Champion Hurdle winners couldn’t beat Thousand Stars over 2m at Punchestown. He was only a length off The New One in Aintree this year. He can only be described as a genuine Grade One horse.
Hurricane Fly made these horses look ordinary and some have assumed they are. However, they have both won Grade Ones outside Ireland, as well as in. When there is a champion, the competition looks weak because one is so far ahead of the rest. Hurricane Fly defied history in regaining his title after losing it. He has broken a world record despite having three periods of missed time. He has beaten the best over hurdles for the past five years, as well as Group One winners on the Flat, and he is a champion. Show him the respect he deserves.”
PATRICK MULLINS,
County Carlow.
I think Patrick Mullins just might be a little biased you know.
People quote Grade 1 wins quite a lot but any grade 1 win is just grade 1 in name only until you actually look at the quality of the field. Sub standard horses win certain grades of races from time to time and that’s just the nature of the game.
A good example of this was Postponed in this year’s King George at Ascot. He came into the race rated 118 and a group 2 winner but with Golden Horn being pulled out and the soft ground he managed to win this group 1 race. Is he really now a group 1 horse, or do we think that, with Flintshire and Golden Horn out of the race, the fact was that none of the field were group 1 winners coming in?
As I have said, I admire the horse for the reasons I gave but he can’t be my “Greatest Hurdler”
“May you live in interesting times” is a phrase sometimes known as “The Chinese Curse”, for budding Group 1 winning horses the saying could be altered to “May you live in uncompetitive times”
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
The best hurdler since istabraaq and one of the all time greats. His beating of Jezki and our Conor was one of the most pulsating races I’ve seen. You can make stats say anything. Mastercraftsman was only beaten a length by sea the stars in a course record time but was given a rating way below what that form suggests. He has clearly passed on his class to the likes of the grey gatsby Kingston hill and amazing Maria. The fly is a once in a generation horse and probably won’t be appreciated for a few years till we realise how great he was.
m, but he was a superstar and would easily have given Istabraq half a stone, even at Cheltenham, imo. (Always thought Istabraq much overrated).
Have to agree with the overrated comment – couldn’t for the life of me understand why beating up on the likes of Theatreworld, Hors La Loi, Blue Royal, French Holly & I’m Supposin in three Champion Hurdles and getting beaten by Pridwell warranted him being mentioned in the same breath as legends like Night Nurse, Monksfield & Sea Pigeon.
For me, The Fly was a better hurdler (never fell) and his collateral form is better as well – can’t understand why he is not officially rated higher than Istabraq.
When we old fogeys drone on about past glories, many can think, ‘well, they would say that, wouldn’t they’, but even with my coldly objective hat rammed firmly on my head, that long period featuring Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield was indeed the golden era of hurdling.
A bunch of top class, mostly sound and regularly raced horses who met again and again, the three of them leaving behind other very talented beasts like Dramatist, Birds Nest, Beacon Light, and, earlier in Night Nurse’s career, ex-champs Lanzarote and Comedy of Errors.
Night Nurse was a fantastically robust and talented horse who could handle any ground. Ten days after he featured in one of the most memorable races in NH history, his dead heat with Monksfield (rec 6lbs) at Liverpool, he gave weight and a beating to Dramatist and Beacon Light in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
In the season prior to that, Night Nurse was unbeaten in eight runs, incredibly, none of those was on ground softer than good despite racing right through the winter.
Those were indeed the days.
When we old fogeys drone on about past glories, many can think, ‘well, they would say that, wouldn’t they’, but even with my coldly objective hat rammed firmly on my head, that long period featuring Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield was indeed the golden era of hurdling.
A bunch of top class, mostly sound and regularly raced horses who met again and again, the three of them leaving behind other very talented beasts like Dramatist, Birds Nest, Beacon Light, and, earlier in Night Nurse’s career, ex-champs Lanzarote and Comedy of Errors.
Night Nurse was a fantastically robust and talented horse who could handle any ground. Ten days after he featured in one of the most memorable races in NH history, his dead heat with Monksfield (rec 6lbs) at Liverpool, he gave weight and a beating to Dramatist and Beacon Light in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
In the season prior to that, Night Nurse was unbeaten in eight runs, incredibly, none of those was on ground softer than good despite racing right through the winter.
Those were indeed the days.
And sadly, it seemed like Golden Cygnet could have been a class above even those three greats. Still, after all these years, wondering what might have been
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>steeplechasing wrote:</div>
m, but he was a superstar and would easily have given Istabraq half a stone, even at Cheltenham, imo. (Always thought Istabraq much overrated).Have to agree with the overrated comment – couldn’t for the life of me understand why beating up on the likes of Theatreworld, Hors La Loi, Blue Royal, French Holly & I’m Supposin in three Champion Hurdles and getting beaten by Pridwell warranted him being mentioned in the same breath as legends like Night Nurse, Monksfield & Sea Pigeon.
For me, The Fly was a better hurdler (never fell) and his collateral form is better as well – can’t understand why he is not officially rated higher than Istabraq.
Was Istabraq over rated? May be a little. But I think you answer your own question LD73. Istabraq wasn’t only “beating” the likes of Theatreworld; he was “beating (them) up”. There have been better Champion Hurdle runner-ups than the horse who finished in that position three times in 1997, 98 and 99. The horses Hurricane Fly beat to win his Champions (Peddlers Cross and Rock On Ruby) and Solwhit were all better than Theatreworld. But the latter was beaten 12 lengths; 7 lengths further in 98 by Istabraq than he was by Make A Stand in 97.
Timeform rate horses primarily to give the punter an idea of what standard a performance the horse is capable of in the future. If a horse improves its form and puts up a performance thought worth 173, then (because in future races he’s thought capable of reproducing another run of that quality – he must be rated 173. Whether putting up 1 or 10 performances worth 173 the rating the horse is thought capable of is the same. It can not be numerically rated higher otherwise it gives punters the wrong idea of what rating it is capable of producing.
Those three last words are important, “capable of producing”. If any horse rated 173 is inconsistent and only runs to that rating one in five times, then the Master Rating is still 173 because it is the rating “capable of producing” given ideal conditions. Is such a 173 animal “better” than a consistent 172 or 170 rated horse? No, not in my opinion, but because the horse is “capable of producing” 173 the “rating” is right. However, the write up can say “inconsistent” or “best at Cheltenham”. Conversely, there are superlatives that can be added. Timeform’s Hurricane Fly write up describes him as “tremendously tough and genuine” which (when assessing a race/horse) can be allowed for in liklyhood of running to form, just as inconsistency can be allowed for. Official BHA ratings don’t have these write ups.
One other thing, the amount a horse has in hand of its rivals needs to be taken in to account. A winner that’s almost all out to beat a runner-up whose performance can be rated 169 by 1 1/4 lengths – then the winning performance can not be rated more than a few pounds more than the distance of 1 1/4 lengths is itself worth. Problem is (if you can call it a problem) Hurricane Fly never beat another top class performer (who’d himself ran to form) with great ease. Had a terrific turn of foot and always held up for a late run. Although it is possible Hurricane Fly was capable of a higher rating in my opinion there’s not enough evidence.
If not allowing more pounds for how much further the horses could have won by – then Hurricane Fly and Istabraq could be rated similarly. But Istabraq’s best performances were so obviously achieved with more in hand than winning distance indicates and therefore understandable Hurricane Fly’s rating was not upped as much as Istabraq.
Value Is EverythingVoy Por Ustedes is better than Arkle judge on his beating up of Masterminded eh ginge?
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Istabraq was second in his first hurdle race, beaten a head. After that, the only times he didn’t win were when running at two and a half miles on soft (twice), when he fell (twice) and in his very last race when something was clearly amiss and he was pulled up early.
Had it not been for the foot and mouth outbreak, Istabraq may well have lined up and landed four champion hurdles in a row and a fifth festival win in a row. Remember these are not Quevega Mickey Mouse races we are talking about here.
I am probably biased because in 1998 I had one of the biggest bets of my life as a double on French Holly in the RSA Hurdle and Istabraq in the Champion Hurdle. I doubt I’ll ever get two easier winners in my life, as they came home 14l and 12l winners. Happy days.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Voy Por Ustedes is better than Arkle judge on his beating up of Masterminded eh ginge?
Don’t understand your point Nathan.
To do accurate ratings – it is obvious a decision needs to be made whenever a horse runs below form. Horses run below form a lot of the time. Even when Hurricane Fly won, the times he runs to full potential are rare. Should Hurricane Fly be rated on his 1 1/4 length beating of the considerately handled Marito in the 2013 Morgiana?Value Is EverythingI think your using lengths to rate horses better/worse to suit your stance on the subject. running to form or not is subjective and not written in stone. It’s not a problem everyone is entitled to their opinion but yours at times come across as if you are stating a fact.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I take your points, but personally I don’t think you can uprate a horse more for easily beating inferior rivals over another horse that is beating multiple G1 winners (and Champion Hurdlers to boot) by 1 or 2 Lengths.
Istabraq’s 12L thumping of Theatreworld in 1998 Champion may on appearance look good but he had already beaten him 35L at Leopardstown earlier that season. In the following year’s Champion, that winning distance was cut to only 3.5L but in 2000 it was up to 32L and overall Theatreworld’s record of only 6 minor wins from 32 races says it all.
No matter how far & how easily Istabraq beat the likes of Stage Affair, Derrymole, French Holly, Master Beveled, Shantarini, Decoupage & Mantles Prince to me it doesn’t compare to beating (by a length or so) the likes of a Solwhit, Rock On Ruby, Oscar Whiskey, Binocular, Our Connor & Jezki.
The fact that Istabraq was given an official rating the equal of Monksfield and in turn superior to Sea Pigeon (imho the greatest duel purpose horse of all time) makes no sense – the only thing they did get right was to actually rate him below Night Nurse.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Istabraq is a great horse but imho he is in a select group of horses (that now includes The Fly) that are just below the three aforementioned horses.
I think your using lengths to rate horses better/worse to suit your stance on the subject. running to form or not is subjective and not written in stone. It’s not a problem everyone is entitled to their opinion but yours at times come across as if you are stating a fact.
Oh Jesus,
You’ll see the words “believe, probably and possibly” quite a lot in my posts Nathan.
Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion and form is always subjective.
“Lengths” are what the handicapper uses to tell how good every horse is.
Value Is EverythingFor me Hurricane Fly is the best hurdler I’ve seen (with the possible exception of Faugheen, who is more a freak than a hurdler). I haven’t been following racing very long but am fortunate that I was interested early enough to see some great clashes between Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace, Macs Joy, Iktitaf, Asian Maze and Al Eile in what was something of a mini-golden era for Irish hurdling.
Solwhit was better than most of those and not far of a Brave Inca or Hardy Eustace. He may not have won a Champion Hurdle but he was an eight time Grade 1 winner over a variety of trips and going (including an Irish Champion Hurdle, a Punchestown Champion Hurdle, a World Hurdle and an Aintree Hurdle) and was unfortunate that his only attempt in a Champion coincided with a bout of sickness.
Hurricane Fly regularly had Solwhit’s measure, earning in running comments such as ‘impressive’ and ‘comfortably’ in the process. Those races seem like a long time ago now, with more recent battles with Jezki and Our Conor what most people might remember him for. I don’t think he was as good in recent years but one thing that didn’t wane was his tigerish battling qualities and he kept the younger legs at bay for a long time. What we all wanted to see was a race between Hurricane Fly and Big Bucks over two and a half miles and I’d have no hesitation in nailing my colours to the Fly’s mast in that scenario. He was an absolute machine an his pomp, his Punchestown Champion Hurdle wins being some of his most devastating.
He was never as reliable across the channel and although he still managed to win two Champion Hurdles it is for those great days at Leopardstown that he will be remembered. I count myself lucky to have been present for many of his wins, in particular his first and last at Leopardstown. When he came to the last upsides Go Native in the former, both on the bridle, it looked like a close finish was on the cards, but Hurricane Fly sprinted clear by 10 lengths in what was the most impressive display I’ve seen by a novice hurdler. When he brought the curtain (and the house) down on his Leopardstown career in January he received a richly deserved phenomenal reception, the best I’ve witnessed. It was the kind of day you hope to tell future generations about and it takes a special horse to stir that sort of emotion in the crowd.
Happy retirement to the Fly, Leopardstown won’t be the same without him.
Hurricane Fly is obviously a talented horse but(and it is a big but in my opinion) his Cheltenham form was not brilliant.
He twice won what I consider to be inferior Champion Hurdles and was beaten three times in far better quality races.
He was pretty much unbeatable in Ireland and it should be that he is remembered for.
Happy Retirement The Fly cos you deserve it !!
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