Review leopardstown 29th Dec Hurricane Fly landed the 18th Grade One victory of his illustrious career as he put up a terrific show to repeat last season's success in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown.Willie Mullins' dual Champion Hurdle hero (11-10 favourite) showed all his old zest as he disposed of two of Ireland's young pretenders, Jezki and Our Conor, to win by two and a half lengths and three and a quarter.Ruby Walsh settled at the rear before attacking down the outside going to the final flight, which Hurricane Fly jumped alongside Our Conor before storming clear as Jezki, who had been slightly hampered, ran on for second.Tony McCoy won the day's other Grade One contest, the Topaz Novice Chase, for owner JP McManus on the John Kiely-trained Galway Plate winner Carlingford Lough.The 5-1 chance crept into contention on the run to the final bend and was produced to challenge at the final fence, which he jumped just behind favourite Morning Assembly before forging a length and a half clear.Theatre Bird sprung a surprise in the IFG EBF Mares Hurdle, leading all the way under Bryan Cooper to give County Wexford-based Sean Doyle a Grade Three victory after stepping up from a Clonmel maiden success.The 14-1 chance never looked like being caught as she turned for home still going well, and with the odds-on Upsie fading badly on the run-in, big outsider Caoimhe's Delight took second, four and a half lengths in arrears.Henry De Bromhead's point-to-point scorer Shanahan's Turn (2-1 joint-favourite) ran out an impressive winner of the Ryanair Maiden Hurdle, taking it up after a slick jump two out under Andrew Lynch and clearing away from Blue Bicycle by four and three-quarter lengths.Charles Byrnes' Sea Light (4-5 favourite) won at the meeting on Thursday and had no trouble defying a 6lb penalty in the Mongey Communications Novice Handicap Hurdle, winning by three and a half lengths after Davy Russell jumped him to the front at the second-last.
