Willie Mullins unveils Punchestown Festival squad

Willie Mullins may have one eye on a first British champion trainers' title but he has no intention of relinquishing his crown as King of Punchestown, when next week's Festival gets underway.

At last year's Punchestown Festival, Mullins won an incredible 16 of the 37 races (43.2%) and he looks set to be well-represented throughout this year's five-day meeting, running from Tuesday April 26 to Saturday April 30.

"The Punchestown Festival has been a happy hunting ground for us in the past and it produces some memorable races every year. It's a great opportunity for the public to see the cream of the crop from Cheltenham and Aintree go head-to-head on Irish soil," said Mullins.

"Punchestown always produce lovely, safe ground for the end of the season and the prize money is top-class, hence we always try to send as good a team as we can assemble each year."

While Mullins is still finalising plans for some of his big guns, one thing is for certain - he has his eyes set on being leading trainer once again next week, something he has achieved at 13 of the last 15 Punchestown Festivals.

The most exciting young chaser in training, Douvan, will not be taking up an entry at Sandown this weekend and instead heads to Punchestown next Thursday, April 28, for the Grade 1 Ryanair Novice Chase. The six-time Grade 1 winner was successful at both Cheltenham and Aintree.

"Douvan looks the most likely of mine to go for the Ryanair Novice Chase. He's in great nick," said Mullins.

Annie Power, for many the best mare since the great Dawn Run, is set to appear in Friday's Grade 1 BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle on the back of her breathtaking victories in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool.

"Although she holds other entries, the BETDAQ Champion Hurdle is Annie Power's main target," said Mullins. "It'll be just over three weeks since her win at Aintree so that falls nicely and she came out of the Aintree race well. She has won the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle at the Festival for the last two years. Sempre Medici will go for the Champion Hurdle as well."

Meanwhile, another potential mare out of the ordinary could be on show in Saturday's Grade 1 AES Champion 4YO Hurdle. Apple's Jade, a 41-length winner at Aintree, is more likely to go for that contest than the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle the same day.

"Apple's Jade is in the Mares Champion too but this race is probably the best option for her. She has come out of Aintree well. Voix Du Reve could go as welll," said Mullins.

Mullins has won all three runnings of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle and he hopes that Cheltenham winner Limini can enhance that record.

"Limini looks to be the obvious one for this race - she's well but there are others with chances in this too like Let's Dance and Myska.There's also a possibility that Vroum Vroum Mag might go there, depending on what happens with her this weekend," added Mullins.

Next Tuesday, Mullins confirmed that Yorkhill will bid to complete a Cheltenham/Aintree/Punchestown treble when lining up in the Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

"Yorkhill would look to be my best chance in this race. He seems fine after what might have appeared to have been a hard race at Aintree, and he'll head my team. We have a number of others engaged but he's the number one," he said.

Those at the moment likely to start in Tuesday's Grade 1 BoyleSports Champion Chase include last year's winner Felix Yonger and Twinlight.

"Twinlight is very well and will definitely run - it will be his fifth run at the Punchestown Festival - but we'll have to see after that. Felix Yonger won this race last year so he could return to defend his title," said Mullins.

In Tuesday's Grade 1 Growise Champion Novice Chase, Mullins is hopeful that Outlander can make amends for a fall at Cheltenham and subsequent defeat at Fairyhouse.

"Outlander will probably run in the Growise Champion Novice Chase," added Mullins. "He was going well at Cheltenham before falling and was a close second at Fairyhouse. Prior to that he was unbeaten in three runs this season and finished third to Nichols Canyon in a Grade 1 hurdle at Punchestown last year. He could well be joined by Roi Des Francs. Shaneshill is not out of it either but it depends whether we decide to stick to hurdles with him or go back over fences."

Mullins is likely to have at least a couple of runners in the sensational Grade 1 Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup second and third, Djakadam and Don Poli, look set for a rematch with the winner Don Cossack. Ryanair Chase winner Vautour is a likely starter if not travelling to Sandown on Saturday.

"Djakadam and Don Poli are being lined up for the Gold Cup as things stand. Vautour and Sir Des Champs are possibles for Sandown but if they don't go there they could come into this race as well," he said.

Mullins will field a strong team in Wednesday's Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle.

"Bellshill, who won the Attheraces.com Champion Bumper at Punchestown last year for us, will probably lead the team in the three- mile novice hurdle," he added. "Looking down thorough my entries Arkwrisht, Stone Hard and Burgas are all possibles, as are previous course winners Thomas Hobson and Balko Des Flos so we'll have a few in that race."

Stable stalwart Thousand Stars, a Grade 1 winner at Auteuil in November, is set to run in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle on Thursday, April 28.

"Thousand Stars is a definite runner, all going to plan," said Mullins. "This will be his seventh Punchestown Festival and he's been a tremendous servant. He would have two Champion Hurdle wins there only for Hurricane Fly and he was third in another two Champion Hurdles won by 'The Fly'. He won another Grade 1 for us on his last start and we're looking forward to running him. Annie Power is in here but she's more likely to run in the Champion Hurdle. Nichols Canyon is a possible as are Shaneshill and So Young."

Mullins has no less than 16 entries for the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle on Friday, April 29.

He said: "Petit Mouchoir, who was only beaten a neck in an Aintree Grade 1, has come out of that race well and he might move up to two and a half miles in this contest. We have a lot of good choices for this race and we'll really have to wait until closer to the day."

Few victories last year brought Mullins more pleasure than when his son Patrick partnered Uncle Junior to win the FBD Chase for the La Touche Cup. The now 15-year-old, who also won the race in 2012, is set to bow out next week over Punchestown's famous banks course.

"We're really looking forward to bringing Uncle Junior again," continued Mullins. "The La Touche Cup will be his swansong - he's going to be retired afterwards - but he's won two of them already and we'd love to see him go out on a high."

Looking at the rest of the week, Mullins added: "Between the various handicaps and bumpers at the Festival we hope to have a formidable team next week."