DESPITE the fact that Willie Mullins won’t have the likes of Annie Power, Min, Faugheen and Vautour on his team for this year’s Cheltenham Festival, he will still bring an enviable team and numerically he expects to have around 40 runners.

“It has been a difficult season, but you just have to accept that in the game that we’re in. I don’t dwell on things and always try and look ahead. We are down some big horses, but hopefully we’ll have a good festival,” he stated.