Scottish Champion Hurdle preview

Willie Mullins fires two arrows at Saturday's QTS Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr in a bid to boost his hopes of being crowned champion trainer in Britain.

Grand National-winning jockey David Mullins partners Ivan Grozny for the second successive weekend, having hit the target at Aintree last Saturday, while Paul Townend takes the ride on talented dual-purpose performer Clondaw Warrior in the absence of Ruby Walsh.

Patrick Mullins, the trainer's son and assistant, said: "They both have to carry top weight, which makes life difficult, but there is only 11lb separating the whole field.

"Ivan Grozny was good in Aintree, he's obviously well-in and David takes 3lb off his back, but it is a tough ask for him to come back within a week.

"He's travelled back to Ireland and then back over again, so I think it might be difficult to produce the same sort of performance again, but we'll see.

"Paul (Townend) has gone for Clondaw Warrior, who is a horse we always felt was better than his mark.

"He got it together the last day and went up 8lb for that, which I thought was fair, and he might still have a bit up his sleeve. On his Flat form he'd be a class above these, so we'd be hopeful of a big run."

With a total prize fund of £101,000 on offer, reigning champion trainer Paul Nicholls is also double-handed in the Grade Two contest.

The Ditcheat handler saddles Some Plan, the mount of Harry Cobden, and the Sam Twiston-Davies-ridden Connetable, who disappointed in the Triumph Hurdle last month.

Twiston-Davies said: "There's no denying he was disappointing at Cheltenham but I'd hope that on ground with more cut he'd run better.

"He was flat-out the whole way in the Triumph and in future I think he's going to be a horse who wants a trip. He's in good form, though, and he's not giving us any reason not to run."