Mullins planning Maze return

Tom Mullins hopes to give his Cheltenham Festival contender Asian Maze a prep run at Gowran Park or Navan later this month.

The prolific mare has been off the track since running away with a Grade One event at the Punchestown Festival last April but is ready for a return.

“She’s in great order and I couldn’t be happier with her and the plan is to run her later this month before heading to Cheltenham,” Mullins told the Racing Post.

“We’re looking at either the Red Mills on Saturday week or the Boyne Hurdle the following day at Navan and at the moment I’m slightly in favour of running her in the Red Mills.

“We’ll hopefully get the run into her and that should be enough before she goes to Cheltenham.”

Mullins’ star holds entries in both the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the trainer is favouring a crack at the longer race on March 16.

“At the moment the World Hurdle looks the more obvious one but we’ll leave that decision till the last minute,” he added.