Hardy Eustace in first time visor

Hardy Eustace will sport a first time visor for the first time as he goes for his third Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle victory at Cheltenham on Tuesday. On Sunday he headed the 18 declarations for the Festival’s opening day showpiece in which he will bid to become only the sixth horse to win three successive Champion Hurdles.

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Trainer Dessie Hughes declared the horse in a visor for the first time, a slight departure from the previous two visits when he has worn blinkers - both successfully.

His big-race rider ConorO'Dwyer said: "He doesn't really need blinkers so we discussed it the other day and decided to use a visor this time. He will be more aware of what's around him."

Richard Hughes, jockey son of trainer Dessie, on Sunday said favourite Brave Inca would need to pull out all the stops to take the Champion Hurdle crown from Hardy Eustace as he warned that the defending champion was ready to return to his peak in pursuit of a third title.

He said Hardy Eustace should be excused a rare failure in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle last time, when he was subsequently found to have caught a virus, but judged on his record at Cheltenham where he has not been beaten in three consecutive appearances, despite punters’ preference for Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Arcalis

“It was the first bad run of his life but he had every reason to run the way he did,” said Hughes.

“He didn’t even jump that well at Leopardstown, which was most unlike him. He missed two or three hurdles and when he came home his back was sore and hehad the viral infection.

“He seems as good now as he was going there last year. You can’t knock him for one blip. He is always a better horse in the spring and peaks this time of year. He’s been a better horse come Cheltenham for the last three years.

“I have no doubt Brave Inca has improved a bit but I don’t know if he has improved enough. Last year he was upsides Hardy Eustace halfway up the straight and at the line we beat him half a length, but fifty yards past our horse was three to four lengthsahead, he was only just warming up.”

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