Annie Power is set to bid for a big spring festival treble at Punchestown later this month.

The Champion Hurdle heroine was brilliant at Aintree last week and enjoyed a light canter with stable companion Let's Dance on Monday ahead of a crack at the Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "Annie Power seems fine and the plan is to go for the Champion Hurdle in Punchestown. It will only be her fourth run of the season."

The novice events over hurdles and fences at Punchestown are full of quality, with the likes of Yorkhill, Buveur D'Air, Douvan and Native River all set to potentially star. Mullins looks certain to unleash another formidable team over the five days.

"I imagine all the top guns will run as it's the last big festival of the season," said the champion trainer.

"Yorkhill must have some engine to do what he did in Aintree the other day. If he's recovered, he could go to Punchestown. He's a good eater and he drinks well and he'll get a good rest before then.

"Apple's Jade was a revelation at Aintree. She had some training problems after Christmas and (in hindsight) we obviously didn't have her as straight as we'd want at Cheltenham."

Asked for a dark horse to follow, Mullins replied: "Koshari is a nice horse from France that we haven't been able to run yet."

The feature race on the first day of the Festival is the Boylesports Champion Chase, with Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sprinter Sacre the headline act among 18 possible runners.

Punchestown's racing manager Richie Galway revealed Nicky Henderson has not yet ruled out a return to Ireland with his stable star, who claimed this prize in 2013.

Galway said: "Myself and Shona Dreaper met Nicky in Newbury recently and we said we'd love to have Sprinter Sacre running. He said the day that he won in Punchestown for himself and the owners was one of the great days they had with Sprinter Sacre."

Melling Chase winner God's Own, Queen Mother runner-up Un De Sceaux, Vautour and high-class mare Vroum Vroum Mag are also on the list.

Cheltenham and Aintree hero Thistlecrack is on course for the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle and Galway feels the presence of British-trained runners is vital.

He said: "At the moment the ground is around yielding to soft or soft. We've had a tough winter and the forecast for the remainder of this week is unsettled. I'd be delighted to have it in the same shape as it is today. We have five days of fresh ground for the hurdle track and we've plenty of room to manoeuvre on the chase course.

"The English involvement is very important and the prospect of Cue Card and Don Cossack running in the Gold Cup will be a huge attraction. Twenty per cent of our attendance is from the UK and it's crucial to the success of the Festival. Colin Tizzard, Philip Hobbs, David Pipe and Paul Nicholls will all have a good team of horses coming over."