EVERYTHING is set for round six in the rivalry between Hurricane Fly and Jezki as the pair headline nine entries for the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29.

Hurricane Fly, who has won this Grade One three times, currently leads three-two in their headto- head clashes.

Despite having seemingly lost the initiative at the end of last season, when Jezki beat him at Cheltenham and at Punchestown, Willie Mullins’ 10-yearold was back on top in the Morgiana Hurdle last month.

“There is nothing to report on Hurricane Fly other than good work and he continues to please me,” said Mullins.

Ireland’s champion trainer has also left in Faugheen, but he is poised to run at Kempton a few days earlier. Arctic Fire is another possible for the Closutton yard.

John Ferguson’s Purple Bay is the only Britishtrained representative, while Aidan O’Brien could run Plinth.

ALVARADO, fourth in the Crabbie’s Grand National in April, will have his season built around a return to Aintree.

Trained by Fergal O’Brien, the nine-year-old is due to return to action at Cheltenham next month, with a run over hurdles before the big one next April a possibility.

O’Brien said: “He had a very hard race at Aintree and the Ruckers (owners), who have forgotten more about the game than I know, wanted to give him a long summer off.

“We’ll build his season around the one race as he took to it well last year.

“We’ll start him back at Cheltenham at the end of January, maybe give him a run over hurdles after that to take the freshness out of him before Aintree.

“We had a lot of luck with him last year and we’ll hope for some more this year.”