Mullins mob-handed for final day of season at Punchestown

Title-leader Willie Mullins has assembled a huge team for the climax of the season at Punchestown on Saturday.

Having entered more than 40 contenders for the €100,000 Ballymore Handicap Hurdle alone, Mullins has ended up with 14 of the final field of 25 – and two of the three reserves.

He has a total of 35 runners on the card with rival Gordon Elliott responsible for 19 – both including reserves – for the last day of the Punchestown festival when the feature races will be the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle and AES Champion 4YO Hurdle.

The pair will face off in the Mares Champion Hurdle with Benie Des Dieux, winner of the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, leading a seven-strong Mullins team and Apple’s Jade and Barra representing Elliott.

In the Champion 4YO Hurdle, Triumph Hurdle first and second, Farclas (Elliott) and Mr Adjudicator (Mullins), will take each other in a nine-strong line-up made up entirely of runners from the Mullins and Elliott stables.

Mullins led Elliott by €424,148 before the fourth day of the meeting on Friday.

At Sandown, a final field of six has been declared for the Grade 2 bet365 Oaksey Chase with Top Notch heading the betting at 11-8 from Double Shuffle (11-4) and Art Mauresque (4-1).

Punchestown Saturday card

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