Willie Mullins mares set to star at Punchestown

All eyes at Punchestown on Saturday will be on Lossiemouth in the Coolmore NH Sires Bolshoi Ballet Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained grey has been beaten only once in eight runs under Rules, capping last season with a Cheltenham-Punchestown Festival double at Grade One level.

She reappeared this year in running away with the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Trials day, after which she returned to the Cotswolds to take the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle by three lengths, with connections having resisted the temptation to go for the Champion Hurdle.

Rich Ricci’s charge has not run since, as she was not entered at Aintree, and lines up at Punchestown with a huge reputation to maintain.

Mullins is happy with her build up, saying: "She’s in good order, she comes here in good form. I hoping she’ll run to her rating and hopefully that will be enough."

Opposing Lossiemouth will be two horses in the blue and white silks of Kenny Alexander, one of whom is the Henry de Bromhead-trained Telmesomethinggirl.

The nine-year-old was last seen finishing a valiant second to Lossiemouth at the Cheltenham Festival and will likely run her final race at Punchestown as she has since scanned in foal to Blue Bresil.

"She’s a wonderful mare and she’s actually in foal to Blue Bresil as we speak, so this is almost certainly her last race," said Peter Molony, racing manager to Alexander.

"She’s up against a monster in Lossiemouth, she’s a Grade Two winner and she’s been second in a Grade One and we’d desperately love her to win a Grade One on her last run.

"It’s probably a tall order, but if she’s in the first two or three we’ll be absolutely delighted.

"She was incredibly unlucky a few years ago here when she got brought down, Rachael