Vroum Vroum Mag© Photo Healy Racing
Vroum Vroum Mag has the job of super sub as she steps into the breach to replace Annie Power in the Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle on Friday.
The seven-year-old mare was a controversial late withdrawal from the Select Hurdle at Sandown last weekend that cost her trainer a £1,000 fine.
Instead, she will strut her stuff in the Grade One over two miles, a distance shorter than what she is used to.
Annie Power did the same in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, though, and it proved no obstacle.
Vroum Vroum Mag is undefeated in nine starts since joining the Mullins stable and the trainer is hoping she can repeat the form she showed at Cheltenham when she won the OLBG Mares' Hurdle.
"She seems to come alive on the racetrack and if she can do what she did at Cheltenham, that would be good," said Mullins.
The Closutton handler also runs Sempre Medici, who appears to just fall short at the top level and was pulled up in Cheltenham's Champion Hurdle.
My Tent Or Yours, trained by Nicky Henderson, was runner-up that day on his first start for almost two years and has since finished second again to Annie Power in the Aintree Hurdle.
"He's run well both days," said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.
"He came out of Liverpool well, Nicky's happy with him, so we're hoping for a good run. It's a nice race, we're happy with him and we hope he runs well."
Identity Thief lost all chance in the Champion Hurdle with a bad mistake and was eventually sixth.
However, he won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle earlier in the season and connections still retain their faith in the Henry de Bromhead-trained six-year-old.
"He missed the second hurdle at Cheltenham and landed on all fours," said Eddie O'Leary, racing manager to owners Gigginstown House Stud.
"The race was gone for him after that. He didn't jump or travel afterwards. We think he's exciting and we think he's better than that.
"I'm not saying we'd have beaten Annie Power, but on form we should have been ahead of Top Notch, who finished fifth, and we should have been up with there with Nichols Canyon, who came third.
"It was disappointing but he's very inexperienced - it was only 12 months since he won a bumper."
