Willie Mullins prospecting for gold at Punchestown

Willie Mullins' pair of On His Own and Boston Bob top a list of 10 declared runners for Wednesday's Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup.

On His Own was last seen finishing a short-head second to Lord Windermere in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Boston Bob struck gold in the two-and-a-half-mile Melling Chase at Aintree earlier this month.

Ruby Walsh has opted to partner Boston Bob, with Paul Townend aboard On His Own, having ridden the horse to claim the Thyestes Chase earlier in the season.

First Lieutenant disappointed when only fourth in the Betfred Bowl at Aintree and he will be sporting blinkers for the first time as trainer Mouse Morris tries to recapture the horse’s best form.

Nicky Henderson’s Long Run fell in the Crabbie’s Grand National but he returns to regulation fences for the Group One in which he finished second last term.

Alan King’s Medermit is the other British-trained representative in a race that also features Argocat, Foildubh, Lyreen Legend and Noble Prince.

Morning Assembly is also amongst the declarations, although he is due to run in Tuesday’s Growise Champion Novices Chase.

Mullins, meanwhile, caught a few people on the hop for the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Wednesday by declaring Faugheen rather than Vautour.

Both horses won their respective races at Cheltenham in impressive fashion but will be campaigned over different distances at this week’s Festival.

Faugheen won the Neptune at Cheltenham over two miles and five furlongs but drops down to two miles in a move Mullins hopes may see him jump better.

The Co Carlow handler also runs Wicklow Brave, sixth in the Supreme at Cheltenham but disappointing at Fairyhouse last time out behind stablemate Valseur Lido, who is also in the line-up.

“Faugheen made two mistakes at Cheltenham and people are saying that because he made two mistakes that he was more impressive. It was a huge performance, however, and he will be exciting in the novice hurdle,” Mullins told At The Races.

“He is possibly good enough to come back to two miles because he can go a gallop and maybe he’d be better jumping over two miles.

“He doesn’t strike me as a Champion Hurdle horse but they are the things we’ll have to decide.”

Mick Channon's Sgt Reckless made up plenty of late ground at Cheltenham to take fourth spot in the Supreme and went on to finish second at Aintree to Josses Hill.

Channon said: “He probably just wanted to be there a little bit later than he was at Aintree, but that’s the way racing goes sometimes.

“If everything falls right for him, he’d have a very good chance.

“We would like some decent ground for him, we just hope it’s not too soft.”

Fellow British raider The Liquidator needs to bounce back from two poor runs after having looked promising earlier in the season.

Real Steel, Quickpick Vic and Western Boy, seventh in the Supreme, complete the eight-runner field.