Trainer Willie Mullins keeps an eye on Hurricane Fly during exercise prior to the festival meeting commencing on Tuesday at Cheltenham racecourse on March 14, 2011 in Cheltenham, England (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/ Getty Images)
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Mourad got the better of stablemate Mikael D'Haguenet to win the Boyne Hurdle and stake his claims to be Willie Mullins' number one hope for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
StanJames.com spokesman Rory Jiwani told Cheltenhamfestival.net today, "Mourad's win was something of a surprise with Mikael D'Haguenet appearing to have returned to something near his best in recent appearances. But the seven-year-old outstayed the former Neptune winner in taking fashion and we cut him from 33/1 to 16/1 for the World Hurdle and from 9/1 to 6/1 in the market without three-time champion Big Buck's.
"Mikael D'Haguenet did not give the impression he would stay the three-mile trip at Cheltenham so we've pushed him out from 14/1 to 33/1. We left him unchanged for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at 50/1.
"With Willie Mullins suggesting Zaidpour will not be heading to Cheltenham, Mourad and So Young look set to lead his assault on the World Hurdle. However, it would take some imagination to see either troubling the mighty Big Buck's."
