Mullins reaches for the Stars Willie Mullins relies on Thousand Stars as four runners go to post for the ladbrokes.com Morgiana Hurdle on Sunday, the highlight of the Winter Festival weekend at Punchestown. The County Carlow trainer did have two other entries at the confirmation stage but said on Wednesday that his Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly is not ready for his seasonal debut, while So Young runs in the Paul Carberry Autobiography Hurdle earlier on the card. Thousand Stars is an able deputy for the Mullins team, having finished fourth to Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham before running his stablemate to five lengths in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in May. His main rivals are expected to be the Jessica Harrington-trained Oscars Well and Pittoni from Charles Byrnes' stable. Oscars Well should strip fitter for his run behind The Real Article at Down Royal two weeks ago, while Pittoni was a good winner at Naas last month. Akatara, trained by Michael Bowe, completes the quartet.
