Brilliant Annie powers to another success

Brilliant Irish mare Annie Power strengthened her big-race claims when easing to an impressive success on her rain-soaked Cheltenham reconnaissance mission in the Dornan Engineering Hurdle yesterday.

Prominent in the ante-post markets on the Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old was running over an extended two and a half miles having been successful at just short of that trip at Ascot on her seasonal reappearance.

Like at Ascot her main market rival was the Paul Nicholls-trained Zarkandar, with the Ditcheat trainer also fielding Empire Levant.