Leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins admits that Hurricane Fly has his work cut out taking on a race-fit Solwhit in Sunday’s Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

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Hurricane Fly was last seen getting the better of Charles Byrnes’ raider in the Punchestown Hurdle earlier this year but there was no doubt that Solwhit was the horse in charge when they clashed early on last season in the Morgiana Hurdle.

Now Mullins has Hurricane Fly just about ready to return to the racecourse after the French import missed out on a run at the beginning of the month.

"He takes his time to get fit like most racehorses and that's why we missed the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.  He had a little bit of a cough before that so we've taken our time with him and we think we're ready enough to run now," Mullins explained.

“Solwhit has the benefit of a good race under his belt and that might just give him the edge in this race."

That is not the only concern for Hurricane Fly backers as the talented hurdler steps up to two-and-a-half miles for the first time, though Mullins believes it shouldn’t be a problem: "He won over this sort of trip as a four-year-old in France. Two-and-a-half miles at his his age now really shouldn't matter.”