1st-Jan-2022

I think that Stormy Ireland has a real chance of winning the Relkeel Hurdle.

Willie Mullins’ mare was well beaten in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle last time, but it appeared that she just had to go faster than ideal on the goodish ground, when she was being hunted down by wundermare Honeysuckle.  There is no Honeysuckle in there today, and the softer ground should enable her get into her racing rhythm a little more easily than last time.

She wasn’t at her best in four runs for Paul Nicholls but, returned to Willie Mullins, she was in the form of her life last spring.  She won the Grade 2 mares’ hurdle at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting, and she won the Grade 1 mares’ hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, beating Minella Melody and Concertista.

She goes well at Cheltenham, she finished second behind Roksana in the Mares’ Hurdle after Benie Des Dieux’s departure at the last in 2019, and she will be ridden by King George hero Danny Mullins, whose record on her reads 113116.

STORMY IRELAND WON (ADV 11/2, SP 4/1)