ONE of the hardest decisions Willie Mullins will have to make involves placing his very talented mares when it comes to the big spring Festival meetings.

The bizarrely-named Vroum Vroum Mag made it seven wins in a row since joining the trainer when cruising away with the Grade 2 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle over very nearly three miles on Saturday and she will no doubt enter calculations for the World Hurdle, especially if Annie Power is fit but heads for the Mares’ Hurdle.

The worrying thing for top British handlers is the ease with which Mullins’ stars are going in. Walsh restrained Vroum Vroum Mag on the outer as Desert Queen made much of the running but the 4/6 chance took it up quite effortlessly with two to jump. Like Un De Sceaux, she received firm instructions to go on and finish things off, something she achieved very comfortably at the main expense of Jennies Jewel and Cannon Fodder.

A seven-year-old French-bred by Voix Du Nord, Vroum Vroum Mag had won five graded chases before reverting to hurdles for a facile success last time. She has speed and stamina and it will be fascinating to see how Mullins campaigns her from now on.

Annie Power

He clearly tries to help where possible and said the Ryanair was the least likely option, though which of the two big hurdle races will be selected is impossible to say at this stage. Mullins is happy enough with Annie Power saying: “She worked this morning. I didn’t hear she worked bad and I only hear about the ones that work bad so I’m assuming she worked all right!” - but takes every day as it comes. The key may be finding a race for her closer to the festival because he is reluctant to go for the World Hurdle first time up.

The layers are taking no chances whatsoever about Annie Power in the Mares’ Hurdle, making her an odds-on chance, which makes no appeal following her long absence. Those who feel she will definitely go there may be interested in the 6/1 with Coral about Vroum Vroum Mag for the longer race, where Thistlecrack remains clear favourite.