Irish trainer Willie Mullins has revealed that superstar mare and 2016 Stan James Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power is nearing a return to action after she was ruled out of this year’s renewal of the two-mile championship hurdling showpiece due to injury.
One of the finest mares to grace the National Hunt game, the nine-year-old son of Shirocco famously fell at the final flight in the 2014 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle when seemingly assured of victory before regaining redemption in the same race 12 months later.
The prolific mare then dropped down in distance to two miles for the Champion Hurdle last year and showed her class with another authoritative success.
Ruled out of this year’s renewal following a knee injury, she does look set to return to the racecourse for the Punchestown Festival, which runs from April 26th-29th where she may bid to win the Mares Champion Hurdle for a third time.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mullins said: “Annie Power could run at Punchestown. We step up in work in the next couple of weeks.”
Yorkhill a Gold Cup contender
Closutton handler Mullins also revealed that he sees Yorkhill, winner of the Grade One JLT Novices’ Chase, as a potential 2018 Gold Cup.
Mullins added: “Yorkhill is settling and he is jumping. That he can jump around Cheltenham and that his pedigree is a real old-fashioned chasing one would tell me the progression would be the Gold Cup on that performance.
“He’s learning and maturing. This time next year he could be that [Gold Cup] direction.”
