• Irish trainer steps up title challenge against the current champion
Vautour,Douvan, Annie Power part of raid on Grand National meetingOdds approximately Willie Mullins becoming the champion jumps trainer in Britain shortened dramatically on Tuesday as word leaked out that he would bring some of the biggest names in his steady over for next week’s Grand National meeting. While the Irishman had already discussed his plan to run Annie Power, or he now says Vautour and Douvan,two of his other Cheltenham Festival winners, will join her on the ferry, or along with Nichols Canyon,Black Hercules and others.
That represents a total turnaround in Mullins’s approach to Aintree, whose three days tend not to be graced by his very best horses. His Cheltenham heroes and heroines are normally saved for Punchestown at the finish of April and that was the only track he mentioned as a target for Douvan in the instant aftermath of that horse’s recent success in the Arkle Trophy.
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Source: theguardian.com