Willie Mullins pleased with Annie Power progress

Willie Mullins raised the possibility of Annie Power making a competitive appearance before the Cheltenham Festival after issuing a positive update on her recovery from injury.

The brilliant mare has won 12 of her 14 starts to date, suffering her only defeats when runner-up to More Of That in the 2014 World Hurdle and when falling at the final flight with last season’s OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival at her mercy.

She has been off the track since bouncing back to winning ways at Punchestown in the spring and after missing her intended comeback in Sunday's Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, owner Rich Ricci suggested she could head straight to Prestbury Park in March, as she did last season.

However, Mullins said: “I’m very pleased with her progress and to my eye she is recovering quickly

“I’m going to have the vets look at her in the next few days and hopefully we can step things up with her.

“I was hoping to have her cantering by the new year and if things progress quicker than that, then maybe she could have a run before Cheltenham.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”