Mullins plots Champion Hurdle attack with 'special' mare Laurina

Willie Mullins plans to take aim at giants Samcro and Buveur D'Air in the Unibet Champion Hurdle with star mare Laurina.

The five-year-old has won all four starts by a total of more than 52 lengths since arriving from French trainer Guillaume Macaire and is set to begin her march to Cheltenham in Ascot's Coral Hurdle on November 24, a race won by the Mullins-trained mare Annie Power in 2013.

Laurina romped to an 18-length win in the mares' novice hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season before a first Grade 1 success at Fairyhouse, and Mullins thinks she has the talent to shake up the best.

Whatever the weather she’s just ace: Laurina whistles past a puddle before recording another effortless Grade 1 victoryCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

After watching Laurina do her morning work ridden by regular partner Paul Townend, the multiple champion trainer said: "The Champion Hurdle is the plan; she could be special. She is unbeaten with us and her owner is very keen to give her the opportunity of going down the Champion Hurdle route rather than the mares' hurdle.

"To me, looking at her, she could go novice chasing and be a Grade 1 mare over fences. She is a fine, big mare with scope. But, anyway, we will train her with the Champion Hurdle in mind.

"She will probably kick off in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot later in November, the race Annie Power won a few years ago. We will start there and that will tell us where we stand with her. If it doesn't go to plan, there is always the mares' hurdle route."

Laurina has been shortened to 10-1 from 14-1 by Paddy Power after Mullins' upbeat bulletin and spokesman Paul Binfield expects that price to topple in the coming weeks.

Binfield said: "Laurina is now 10-1 for the Champion Hurdle and it wouldn’t be a great surprise if she goes shorter as she was easily the best novice mare, and she obviously possesses that often all-important Cheltenham course-and-distance form."

Last year's runner-up Melon is also part of Mullins' Champion Hurdle team and could reappear in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on November 18, but he will not be joined there by defending champion Faugheen. He will either stay at three miles over hurdles or try fences, despite turning 11 on New Year's Day.

Unibet Morgiana Hurdle entries

"We will probably stick to the Stayers' Hurdle route with Faugheen but I would love to have a go with him over fences," Mullins said. "How many 11-year-olds have won the Stayers' Hurdle?

"Statistically, he would probably have a better chance of winning the RSA Chase than the Stayers' Hurdle as I would say very few 11-year-olds have tried to win the RSA, whereas plenty have tried and failed in the Stayers' Hurdle. I don't know, we will see. It is certainly an option and he seems in great form at the moment."

This time last year Annamix was favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle and he is still favourite for it. A year may have passed without his presence but Mullins is still confident of him leading his team into battle at the start of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

"We have the same plan for Annamix as we did this time last year. We hope he can be a Supreme horse. He is a horse I have huge time for and he has a huge stride," Mullins said of the five-year-old who is no bigger than 12-1 for the festival opener next March.

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