Annie Power and Ruby Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
Annie Power became the first mare since the great Dawn Run to win the Champion Hurdle and Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle in the same season with a scintillating display on Thursday.
Led through the early stages by stablemate Nichols Canyon she went to the front at the third flight of hurdles when that rival jumped out to the right and was never threatened from that point on. My Tent Or Yours was on the bridle for much of the contest but Barry Geraghty send out distress signals two out and the race was over.
Annie Power stormed clear under Ruby Walsh to win by 18 lengths from a tiring rival and claim a fifth success at Grade One level. The New One fell on the first circuit but was reported to be unscathed afterwards along with rider Sam Twiston-Davies.
Walsh said: "She is dynamite. Paul (Townend) went a good gallop on Nichols Canyon and I was happy to follow him early on. He was jumping out to his right and I jumped by him at the last with a circuit to go.
"She let fly at one or two and she just has that in her and the tendency to be a bit brave. Between the last two I was afraid to look back, then I heard the commentator saying Annie Power is going clear.
"She is wonderful mare, she was fantastic at Cheltenham and she was as good today if not better."
Owner Rich Ricci said: "I think it is just her story. The fact her name has got great history to it. She was named after an Irish patriot. She was part of the revolution and establishment of the country. It's a nice story.
"I think the fact she fell at Cheltenham and came back for some redemption, that's what sport is brilliant in offering and it's my first winner here as well.
"We probably should have brought her to this race a couple of years ago instead of running in the World Hurdle, but I was keen on Cheltenham. Sport offers lots of things and redemption is one of the best. It's good for the game."
Mullins said: "That was only her third run of the season, so I thought she might have improved since Cheltenham, or at the very least she wouldn't have gone backwards.
"She came back well from Cheltenham and we've been very happy with the few bits of work she's done since then.
"We'll certainly have a look at Punchestown for her now, that's certainly all that would be left for her in Britain or Ireland."
Nicky Henderson said of My Tent Or Yours: "You could say on a line through Nichols Canyon we've stepped up from Cheltenham.
"He's run two very lucrative seconds since he's come back and think where we would be without Annie Power. I'd really be patting myself on the back!
"I wouldn't have thought he'll go to Punchestown. I think it was either here or there.
"I don't know what we'll do next season. We'll talk about that somewhere down the line."
