Mullins supplies six of eight Morgiana entries as Sir Gerhard remains in the mix

Willie Mullins' domination of the Morgiana Hurdle shows no signs of ending this Sunday, with Ireland's champion trainer responsible for six of the eight possible runners in the Grade 1 feature race (2.05) – including star performers Sir Gerhard, State Man, Vauban and Sharjah.

Ireland's 16-time champion trainer is seeking an 11th Unibet Morgiana win in the space of 12 runnings, and a 12th success in total.

The latest possible field for Sunday's €120,000 prize was revealed on Tuesday, with the Gordon Elliott-trained pair of Zanahiyr and Pied Piper, as well as Mullins' Saint Roi, the only absentees from the initial entry stage.

Dual Cheltenham Festival winner Sir Gerhard rates one of the most intriguing entries for the Closutton team, with connections said to be undecided on whether the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle scorer would go chasing or hurdling this season.

Runaway County Hurdle winner State Man, who plundered a first Grade 1 when last seen at the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, is in the mix to make his seasonal debut, as is Triumph Hurdle hero Vauban, potentially returning to the scene of his third and most recent top-level strike in April.

State Man: was an impressive winner of the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle before winning in Grade 1 company at the Punchestown festivalCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Sharjah, winner of the Morgiana in 2018 and 2021, may make his first appearance since landing a fourth Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown last Christmas, while fellow Grade 1 winners Saldier, who won this race in 2019, and Echoes In Rain, turned over when well fancied for last year's three-runner affair, complete the Mullins half-dozen.

Elliott has the option of calling on Teahupoo, whose mark of 158 leaves him officially rated 3lb superior to Sir Gerhard, while Noel Meade has kept the 147-rated Jesse Evans in contention.

Elsewhere on the card, last season's Boyne Hurdle winner Thedevilscoachman could face off against quality performers Minella Crooner and Frontal Assault in the Grade 2 Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase (1.30).

Ground conditions at Punchestown on Tuesday were described as yielding to soft, soft in places as the track prepares for an unsettled forecast.

This year's Unibet Morgiana Hurdle is being run in memory of Michael Rafferty, the popular figure behind prominent racing nostalgia account Anaglogs Daughter (@AnaglogsDaughtr) on Twitter.

A regular attendee in recent years at the Morgiana meeting, where he presented the winning prize on behalf of the race sponsors, Rafferty died in June aged 61.

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