Brilliant Irish mare Annie Power could very well have run here last race after she was not entered for the Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Saturday.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old, who became the first mare in 22 years to claim the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March of last year, has not been seen in competitive action since following up in the Aintree Hurdle the following month.

Last week connections confirmed the great mare was in foal to Camelot, who won the 2000 Guineas and completed the English-Irish Derby double for Aidan O’Brien in 2012.

He was narrowly denied in his bid to become the first Triple Crown hero since the great Nijinsky (1970) when beaten by Encke in the St Leger at Doncaster.

Annie Power looked set for one final hurrah on the final day of the Punchestown Festival, but Mullins has decided against sending her to County Kildare.

He told Press Association Sport: “I thought she worked very well last week, but she was just not showing any sparkle this week and I didn’t feel happy running her. That is the reason we are not running.

“I don’t want to say anything about retirement yet as I need to have a discussion with the owner.

“We need to be respectful to the owner and we will be discussing it in the next day or so.”