Hurricane Fly, the dual Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winner trained by Willie Mullins, has died aged 22.
Sky Sports Racing reported his death on 22 September. The hurdler won the Champion Hurdle in 2011 and 2013 and collected the Irish Champion Hurdle in each of five consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2015. Across his career, he won 22 Grade One races, a record-breaking total cited by Mullins when paying tribute to a horse he described as among the greatest to have been trained at Closutton.
Hurricane Fly was retired in 2015 after a nine-year racing career. He spent his retirement at the Irish National Stud, where he lived alongside other former racing names including Faugheen, Hardy Eustace and Beef Or Salmon.
A championship record across Cheltenham and Ireland
His two Champion Hurdle victories placed Hurricane Fly among the leading horses of his division at the Cheltenham Festival, while his five straight Irish Champion Hurdle wins underlined the length of his dominance at top level in Ireland.
Mullins said the 22 Grade One wins were remarkable and recalled a horse who relished a contest, possessed considerable bravery and could put opponents under pressure.
The trainer said his rider could sit off the pace on Hurricane Fly and still expect him to respond. Mullins described him as one of the greatest horses to have passed through the Closutton yard.
Walsh recalls an exceptional hurdler
Ruby Walsh, Hurricane Fly’s regular jockey, called him the best jumper of a hurdle he had ridden. Walsh highlighted the horse’s accuracy at obstacles, bravery and the speed with which he could organise his feet.
According to Walsh, Hurricane Fly could be ridden to a hurdle with confidence because he would meet the obstacle correctly. He also credited him with the combination of speed, class and stamina required of a leading championship performer.
Those descriptions offer context for the scale of his record. The 22 Grade One victories were accumulated alongside repeated success in the two championship races identified by Sky Sports Racing: the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Irish Champion Hurdle. His five consecutive wins in the latter contest also showed that his top-level results extended across several seasons, rather than being confined to a single campaign.
His record was therefore built on more than a single Cheltenham success. The five Irish Champion Hurdle wins came in consecutive years from 2011 to 2015, while the two Champion Hurdle victories arrived in 2011 and 2013. Taken together with the total of 22 Grade One wins, those results set out the competitive consistency recalled in the tributes from his trainer and jockey.
Mullins’ account also identified the qualities he believed allowed Hurricane Fly to compete so effectively. He said the horse enjoyed a battle and would answer when Walsh held him up, while putting rivals under pressure. Walsh’s recollection concentrated on the practical demands of hurdling, describing a horse whose judgement at an obstacle allowed his rider to approach with assurance.
Their accounts praised his jumping, bravery, speed and competitiveness alongside his 22 Grade One wins.
Mullins said he visited Hurricane Fly shortly before his death and was able to say goodbye. He said the moment carried additional sadness following the recent death of co-owner Frank Boyd, and he offered his thoughts to the Boyd and Creighton families.
The Boyd and Creighton families said they were deeply saddened by Hurricane Fly’s death and remembered the great days and lasting memories he gave them. They thanked Mullins, Gail Carlisle, Harold Kirk, the Closutton staff and the Irish National Stud for their roles during his career and retirement.
The tributes from Mullins, Walsh and his owners reflected the regard in which Hurricane Fly was held following a career that included two Champion Hurdles, five consecutive Irish Champion Hurdles and 22 Grade One victories.