Mullins targets French Champion Hurdle
Both Deutschland and Thousand Stars disappointed Mullins at the track last month when finishing down the field behind the Robert Collet-trained Young Poli in the Prix La Barka.
Very soft ground was thought to be the reason for their poor performances and Mullins, who remains without injured number one jockey Ruby Walsh, hopes better ground will be underfoot on Sunday week.
However, whatever the going, Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle hero Thousand Stars will not be at Auteuil, where Deutschland has also to be confirmed a definite runner.
Mullins said: “Thousand Stars won’t go. At the moment Deutschland is the only one we’re thinking of running. We’ll see closer to the time if we have anything else, but I think it will just be Deutschland and it will depend on the ground.”
The Edward O’Grady-trained Jumbo Rio, defeated by last year’s winner Questarabad in the Prix Leon Rambaud at Auteuil in April, could also represent Ireland in the French Champion Hurdle.
Jumbo Rio finished second to Rendons Grace in the Prix Alain Du Breil on the same card in 2009, with the Mullins-trained Mourad in fourth.
