Annie Power© Photo Healy Racing
Annie Power will wear a hood for the first time in public when she makes her eagerly-anticipated return to action at Punchestown on Wednesday.
Willie Mullins' brilliant eight-year-old had last year's OLBG Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham at her mercy until suffering a well-publicised fall at the final flight and she has been off the track since bouncing back to winning ways at the Punchestown Festival last May.
She is odds-on across the board to right the wrong of last season back in the Mares' Hurdle at Prestbury Park next month, but connections have not ruled out a crack at the World Hurdle two days later, a race in which she was narrowly denied by More Of That in 2014.
Joe Chambers, racing manager for owner Rich Ricci, said: " It will be good to see her back and this gives us a chance to get a run into her before a return trip to Cheltenham, all being well.
" She's been wearing a hood at home for the last while, but this will be the first time she's worn it on the track and we'll see what effect it has. We're hoping it will help her relax.
"She's won around Punchestown a couple of times before, so she likes the track and we'll see what happens."
Punters are waiting with bated breath for Annie Power's Festival target to be confirmed, but connections are keeping their cards close to their chest.
"Let's get tomorrow out of the way first. Cheltenham is still four weeks away," said Chambers.
Ruby Walsh's mount will be cramped odds to give weight and a sound beating to just two opponents in the punchestown.com Mares Hurdle. Legacy Gold is an interesting runner for Stuart Crawford, having been sidelined for the best part of two years. The eight-year-old completed a bumper hat-trick for Crawford at the 2013 Grand National meeting at Aintree before being snapped up for £210,000 by owner Roger Brookhouse, who subsequently sent the mare to David Pipe.
She won three of her four starts over hurdles in Britain, but is back with Crawford ahead of her return.
"There was always a chance she (Annie Power) would turn up and there's nothing we can do about that," said the County Antrim-based trainer.
"Our mare has been off for two years, so it will be good to get her back on the track and this looks an ideal place to start. I would have preferred to have run her on better ground, but she's ready to go and w ith where she is in the ratings, there aren't many places we can run her.
"We're up against the top mare in the land, but we'll see what happens." Melbourne Lady completes the trio.
