Today’s Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle is “near ideal” for Willie Mullins‘ star Annie Power, according to the trainer’s son and assistant.
The eight-year-old was one of the standout performers at last month’s Cheltenham Festival when she won the Champion Hurdle and she is expected to be equally as tough to overcome in Liverpool on today.
Mullins also has Champion Hurdle third and a six-time Grade One winner in Nichols Canyon in the race and, while Patrick Mullins – the trainer’s son and assistant – expects Nichols Canyon to push her, he says Annie Power is a deserved favourite.
He said: “This is the race we think that should be near ideal for Annie Power. Like all of those heading to the meeting she has come out of Cheltenham well and she will have no problem stepping back up in trip from two miles.
“If she can run to her Cheltenham form she will be very hard to beat.
“Nichols Canyon slayed Faugheen over two miles and I think going back up to two and a half will help him as he stayed very well on the Flat.
“He won at the meeting over course and distance last year and it would not be the biggest surprise if he turned the tables on Annie Power, however she does deserve to be favourite.”
