Maughreen enhances Cheltenham hopes with Punchestown win after year absence

Maughreen strengthened her Cheltenham Festival claims with a front-running victory on her return to action at Punchestown.

From the family of the brilliant Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen, and similarly marked with a white blaze, the six-year-old made quite an impression on her bumper debut at Punchestown in January of last year, but had not been seen in competitive action since.

Despite the 378-day absence, Maughreen was the 4-11 favourite for her comeback in the €50,000 BetVictor Graduation Bonus Series Mares Maiden Hurdle and led from pillar to post under Paul Townend.

Having jumped well in the main, the Willie Mullins-trained mare was in full command rounding the home turn and while she was steadied into the final flight, she picked up again on the run-in to beat the staying-on Dee's Lady by five lengths.

Gordon Elliott's five-time winner Familiar Dreams, who was last seen running on the Flat at Keeneland, was best of the rest in third.

Bookmakers make Maughreen the new favourite for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

"I thought it was a huge performance for a mare having only her second run, against the experience that Familiar Dreams had," said Mullins.

"She went out and made her own running, jumped from hurdle to hurdle. She made one or two little mistakes and got a bit close at the last, but Paul was happy to let her fiddle that. She learned.

"I'm not sure we'll any more chances to give her a run between now and Cheltenham, we'll see. Looking at that I don't think she'll need one. She should improve, I'm hoping she'll improve from that. She took a blow and she was idling.

"All roads lead to Cheltenham."

Maughreen was one of three winners on the card for the Mullins-Townend combination, with the treble