Hurricane Fly recorded his third successive win in the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in most impressive fashion.
The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old never came off the bridle in registering his 14th Grade One success, setting himself up perfectly for his bid to regain the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Stablemate Thousand Stars made it a decent gallop in atrocious conditions but when Ruby Walsh made his move rounding the home turn, the result was never in doubt.
Binocular travelled well for a long way but was soon left in Hurricane Fly’s wake and Nicky Henderson’s 2010 champion just failed to get past Thousand Stars for second.
Hurricane Fly (1-6 favourite) won by five lengths.