Galopin Des Champs and Ballyburn among galaxy of stars set to be unleashed by Willie Mullins at Punchestown

Willie Mullins may have one eye on being crowned champion British jumps trainer, but he still has a lethal-looking squad for the Punchestown festival that includes the likes of Galopin Des Champs, State Man, Lossiemouth and Ballyburn.

Fresh from his second success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs will attempt to avenge last season's defeat at Punchestown in a rematch with the Martin Brassil-trained Fastorslow.

Champion Hurdle winner State Man will bid for his fifth top-level success at the track, while Cheltenham winners Ballyburn, Lossiemouth and Jasmin De Vaux are all set to contest Grade 1s at the five-day meeting starting on April 30.

Mullins said: "Galopin Des Champs will go for the Punchestown Gold Cup. It will be tough for him. He got beaten there last year, but I think he and Bravemansgame went at it early and Fastorslow came and took it off him. Paul [Townend] might use different tactics. He seems good and he turns up every day.

"State Man is the same, and if you're the owner, trainer or jockey, those are the ones you want to be with every day as they're good, hardy, sound horses. I imagine Impaire Et Passe will take on State Man.

Ballyburn: impressed Mullins with his Cheltenham victoryCredit: John Grossick

"Ballyburn did everything I hoped he would at Cheltenham and more. He impressed me hugely. Everyone was raving about him after his couple of wins in Ireland and he looked a good novice, but I thought he looked much more than that when he came up the hill at Cheltenham. 

"He can go any trip, so we'll see what way the other races pan out. He looks a real good horse. With what he did at Cheltenham, I'd be comparing him to Faugheen or Vautour. It was a real top-end performance.

"Jasmin De Vaux will head to Punchestown and has put on a nice bit of condition since Cheltenham. Lossiemouth will go for the Mares Champion Hurdle, at this point in time. We’ll let State Man go for the Champion Hurdle. I was delighted with her at Cheltenham and it looks like she's coming on song for the Champion Hurdle next year."

Mullins will be mob-handed in the three Grade 1 novice hurdles, with Asian Master, Mirazur West, Tullyhill and Aintree Grade 1 winner Dancing City all set to compete.

He said: "Asian Master will go for on of the shorter novice races and Dancing City will go for the three-mile race. Going up to three miles made a big difference with him. He's a horse I thought a lot of when I bought him and he finished behind Ballyburn and Slade Steel at Punchestown last season, so that was a hell of a race.

"I imagine Tullyhill will go. He’s a winner round Punchestown. He was very disappointing [at Cheltenham], Paul said he went out like a light. We didn’t find anything wrong with him, but he just wasn’t up to scratch on the day.

"Absurde will go to a novice race or a handicap, and Mirazur West could go. I'm hoping Mystical Power will go to Punchestown as well."

Mullins thinks Il Etait Temps will improve for stepping up in tripCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Mystical Power's fellow Aintree winner Il Etait Temps holds an entry in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase along with Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior, who also has the option of Sandown. Cheltenham and Aintree runner-up Kargese could also bid to go one better in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.

Mullins said: "Gaelic Warrior is 50-50. I don't think Il Etait Temps underperformed at Cheltenham, he's just improving all the time and is learning to settle better. He was doing his racing too far out, but he settled and jumped well at Aintree.

"He's becoming more the finished article. He's not a traditional staying chaser as he's only around 16 hands but I think he'll be better going further out in trip. When I saw him walking around the parade ring at Aintree, I never saw a horse move so well in a long time. He hugely impressed me before the race.

"Kargese has some engine, she pulls so hard. We’re going to have to change a few things about her, as if we can get her to settle in a race, she is a real machine, I’d say."

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