Laurina faces just one rival as she starts on road to Champion Hurdle

1.50 Sandown
Unibet Mares' Hurdle (Listed) | 2m4f, 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Laurina will face just one rival at Sandown as the 5-1 second favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle makes her long-awaited first appearance of the season.

She was set to take on three rivals on her first outing since April but rivals Smaoineamh Alainn and Got Away were declared non-runners on Saturday morning leaving the Noel Williams-trained Sensulano as her only challenger.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old mare made spectacular progress in four unbeaten runs last term, beginning with a maiden hurdle success at Tramore and ending with Grade 1 success at Fairyhouse.

She also notched her highest-profile victory to date by clinching the Grade 2 Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices' Hurdle by 18 lengths from Cap Soleil at the Cheltenham Festival.

All four of her wins were achieved in impressive fashion, and only dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air, who perhaps lost his air of invincibility when suffering a shock Kempton defeat over Christmas, is quoted at shorter odds for the first-day Cheltenham spectacular.

Having missed several possible races due to a lack of soft terrain over the last few weeks, Laurina has finally been given the go-ahead by Willie Mullins after the trainer was encouraged the ground at Sandown would be in her favour.

Mullins said: "We've been waiting for a change in the ground before running her. The advanced forecast for Sandown is for soft ground and it should be safe for her – she's a big, strong mare – although she'd prefer it slower. Her four wins were all on testing ground.

"At this stage of the season there are plenty of options for her and we'll see how she fares before advancing plans for her. Her Grade 1 win was over this 2m4f trip at Fairyhouse's Easter meeting, so the distance shouldn't present any problems."

Laurina is a general 1-10 chance to make a winning comeback although her sole rival Sensulano has been most impressive and arrives on the back of major track handicap wins at Ascot and Cheltenham.

Her trainer Noel Williams said: "Everyone will be looking at Laurina and, realistically, if everything goes according to the script for the Mullins camp she will win.

"We might be there in a fight for second place, but you can't be afraid of one horse. One thing I am sure of is that Sensulano will be staying on well towards the finish.

"I'm under no illusions about the task she's facing, but Barry [Geraghty] rides her again and we've got quite a good strike-rate together – let's hope we can keep that going."

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