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Patrick Mullins pays tribute to Hurricane Fly

Image: Willie Mullins looks on at the now retired Hurricane Fly

Patrick Mullins believes Kauto Star is the only other horse to have possessed all the same attributes as Hurricane Fly.

Following the retirement of the 22-times Grade One winner on Monday, Mullins, son of Hurricane Fly's trainer Willie Mullins, thinks dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kauto Star was the only horse that could match up to the 11-year old.

Mullins said: "You can't replace a horse like that. If we are very, very lucky you might get a horse as good as him, but I don't think you will get the whole package he was.

"All the different attributes he had - his toughness, class, speed, stamina, courage - Kauto Star is the only horse I can think of that had that same sort of package."

While for many it will be Hurricane Fly's two Champion Hurdle triumphs in 2011 and 2013 that stand out, Mullins' most memorable moments are those achieved towards the end of his glittering career on the track.

Mullins said: "It is hard to say anything that hasn't already been said. For me, what defined him was the fact he was able to come back from defeat.

"Any horse can get beaten on a day, but for them to come back in a race like the Champion Hurdle, that is the sign of a true champion.

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"The race in the Champion Hurdle when he got beat this year was a very, very hard race. I remember watching him and he was trying his heart out to finish third.

"That is what optimised him - he wanted it. He wanted to win and his will to win was what set him apart from others.

"To be honest, his three wins last season were very special just because he was the underdog. Those wins were special and they made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

"I made a bit of a fool of myself cheering him on all three times, but that is just the feeling that he evoked when you were close to him."

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