All-conquering Mullins turns his thoughts to Royal Ascot

Grade One-winning hurdlers Echoes In Rain and Vauban are part of a team of “four or five runners” Willie Mullins is preparing for Royal Ascot later this month.

The Closutton trainer was again a dominant force at the Cheltenham Festival in March – and is no stranger to success at the showpiece Flat meeting, with eight previous victories.

Two of those were provided by Stratum, who returns to bid for a Queen Alexandra Stakes hat-trick, having taken the 2021 and 2022 renewals.

Mullins, who has plundered the Ascot Stakes on four previous occasions, will try again, relying on Bring On The Night, who has not run since being beaten three-quarters of a length in the same race last year by Ascot Gold Cup favourite Coltrane.

But it is the high-class Echoes In Rain and Vauban who will provide the most intrigue from the Mullins raiding party.

Echoes in Rain, owned by Barnane Stud, has been well supported in the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Gold Cup, the feature on Ladies’ Day, and is as short as 9-1 with Coral for the Group One prize.

The seven-year-old mare was beaten narrowly in the Irish Cesarewitch in September, and having won a Grade Three hurdle at Naas in January, she was subsequently fourth to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Grade One honours fell her way in the Mares’ Champion Hurdle, over two miles and three furlongs at Punchestown on her last run in April.

Mullins, though, thinks it will be tough to win the Ascot Gold Cup.

He said: “She’s in good form, working well and we’re very happy to take our chance.

“We’re delighted to have one to run in it. She has run well on decent ground before and I hope it won’t be an issue.

“It will be hard to think she’d have a winning chance, but if she could finish in the first six, it would be a tremendous run.”

Vauban, whose three Grade One wins last year included the Triumph Hurdle and the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown, holds an entry in the Copper Horse Handicap on the opening day.

He was last seen chasing home stablemate State Man in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Meanwhile, the Tony Bloom-owned Stratum will doubtless have plenty of support to complete a momentous three-timer in the extended Queen Alexandra, the final race of the five-day meeting, which starts on June 20.

“Hopefully we will have a small team of four or five runners,” said Mullins.

“Stratum, who won there last year, will go for the same race again on the Saturday.

“Vauban will probably will go for the mile and six, while Bring On The Night, who was beaten in a four-way finish last year, will probably go back for the same race.

“We’ll have a small team, but we’re looking forward to it.”