VROUM Vroum Mag is one of six declarations for Friday's Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle, with fellow Willie Mullins inmate Annie Power a noticeable absentee.

Annie Power claimed the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham as well as the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting and had been due to try to bring up the hat-trick on the fourth day of the Punchestown Festival. However, Vroum Vroum Mag, who was taken out of a race at Sandown at the 12th hour last Saturday, will now represent Mullins and owner Rich Ricci.

One man who will be glad of Annie Power's absence is Nicky Henderson, as his My Tent Or Yours chased her home at Cheltenham after a two-year absence and also filled the runner-up spot behind her at Aintree. Henry de Bromhead will be looking for a better display from Identity Thief after the Fighting Fifth winner disappointed at Cheltenham. Mullins also runs Sempre Medici while Tony Martin's Ted Veale and Willie Treacy's Fethard Player complete the field.

DOUVAN SHOULD GO TO PLAN

After an opening day when several of his stable stars ran flat, Willie Mullins is hoping the same fate does not await Douvan in Thursday's Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown.

Of all his superstars, Douvan, unbeaten over hurdles and fences since joining Mullins from France, is the shortest price of them all. He has looked simply imperious over the bigger obstacles, with his only real mistake coming at the final fence on his chasing debut.

Douvan had Sizing John seven lengths back in second in the Arkle at Cheltenham and he was even more impressive at Aintree, beating The Game Changer by 14 lengths, and those two take him on again.

"Douvan has been doing everything well since Aintree and I'm happy with him. He'll come here and take his chance," said Mullins. "Coming here this week, we were thinking it could be hard after running at Cheltenham and Liverpool. We could have a few more hiccups before the end of the week. I'm happy with them all, but it's just the year that it is that we are doing a few different things (chasing British title), and there is every chance that a few more could run flat like some have. But we have to put up with that."

Gordon Elliott's The Game Changer has also been to both Cheltenham and Aintree, but he has the advantage of having had a mid-season break. The seven-year-old enjoyed a fruitful summer and autumn, winning three Grade Threes before being roughed off in October to be brought back for Cheltenham.

Elliott, who suffered a huge blow with the news of Don Cossack's injury at the weekend, feels his charge could give the favourite something to think about.