Stellar Line-Up for Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle 

Sublimity, Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace, Won In the Dark, Sizing Europe and Muirhead among the 13 strong entries for the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle

Following the announcement of the preliminary stage entries a Who’s Who of champions past looks set to line up in the Grade 1 Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown this Sunday.

The 2007 champion hurdler Sublimity heads the stellar cast.  Owned by Bill Hennessy and trained by his son Robbie, the Selkirk gelding has been in fine form in two runs this season to date, going down by a head to Punjabi in the re-arranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Wetherby on his debut in December, and then running out a hugely impressive winner of the Grade 1 Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle over Sunday’s course and distance at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. 

Sublimity showed a fine turn of foot from the final flight that day to settle the issue, and any appreciable rain would be a concern for his trainer.  However, the nine-year-old gelding has form on soft and heavy ground as well as on good and yielding ground, both on the flat and over hurdles, so he shouldn’t be any more inconvenienced than most.

Another who won’t be too bothered whatever the weather does is the evergreen Brave Inca, winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle in 2006.  The now 11-year-old ran out of his skin in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last November, on his first run in a year and a half, to finish second to Catch Me, and he wasn’t at all disgraced in finishing third behind Sublimity in the December Festival Hurdle on his latest start

Completing the past champion triumvirate is Hardy Eustace, champion hurdler in 2004 and 2005 and, at 12, a year older than Brave Inca.  Dessie Hughes’s gelding, winner of the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle in 2007, proved that he hadn’t retreated any when he beat young bucks Sizing Europe, Jered and Won In The Dark in the Maplewood Developments Hurdle at Punchestown last November. 

Two of those vanquished rivals are set to take Hardy Eustace on again on Sunday.  Henry de Bromhead’s Sizing Europe, runaway winner of last year’s renewal of the Irish Champion Hurdle, is on a recovery mission of sorts after disappointing in the December Festival Hurdle, while Sabrina Harty’s Won In The Dark, a mere five-year-old, will be looking to build on an excellent run in that contest that saw him finish second, just a half a length behind Sublimity.  Jered’s trainer Noel Meade relies on Muirhead instead, winner of the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse last season and an encouraging fourth in the December Festival Hurdle.

The supporting card on Sunday is top class, headed up by the Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup.  The Willie Mullins-trained Jayo is set to step up in grade after a hugely impressive victory over Made In Taipan on his latest start at Naas.  Mullins is also due to be represented by impressive Thurles winner Cooldine, while the Tom Cooper-trained Forpadydeplasterer is set to step down in distance after his excellent second in the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse in November, and Oliver McKiernan’s Follow The Plan will bid to follow up his gutsy win over Tatenen in the Grade 1 Durkan New Homes Chase on St Stephen’s Day, run over Sunday’s course and distance.

General Manager Tom Burke said; “We are very pleased with the entries for the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle, which is looking like being a true showcase of Irish hurdling talent. The ground is currently ‘Heavy’ and at present no problems are envisaged weather wise with regards to Sunday’s meeting.”