Hurricane Fly makes his eagerly awaited seasonal reappearance in Sunday’s BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

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Trained by Willie Mullins, the son of Montjeu was imperious throughout the whole of the last campaign, winning five Grade Ones on the bounce, including the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Ruby Walsh’s mount will be having his first outing since successful at Punchestown last May after Mullins sidestepped a number of engagements as he was not totally satisfied with his charge at home.

The Irish champion trainer also runs the admirable Thousand Stars, winner of the Morgiana Hurdle earlier this term. Other runners are Unaccompanied, Oscars Well and Kalann.

While he expects Hurricane Fly to improve for the outing, Mullins has taken plenty of heart from a racecourse workout on January 5.

He said: “Everything has gone fine this week, so he’s ready to run. He did a lovely bit of work in Leopardstown and all his work after that has been good – fingers crossed he stays right.

“He’d been disappointing me up to Leopardstown and having a good workout on grass just put him right, I think. He’s schooled well over hurdles since and it is always good to see them away from home and see what they can do.

“This is probably one of his stiffest tests for his first run, but he likes Leopardstown and he’s been giving us all the right signs, so we just hope he can transfer that on race day.

“He will have to improve (for the run). It would be very hard to bring the likes of him to Cheltenham without a run. He gets a bit wired up. A run and a big day out at a race meeting is probably essential.”

Dermot Weld is cautiously optimistic about Unaccompanied’s chances of lowering the colours of Hurricane Fly.

He said: “She will be trained for the day and I’ll be satisfied if she gets placed. I do think it is very ambitious to think she can beat Hurricane Fly, but she is a good, improving mare and I think the best is yet to come from her.

“Hurricane Fly is an outstanding horse and he will be extremely hard to beat, but I am very hopeful of winning the race.”