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Willie Mullins' stranglehold on the OLBG Mares' Hurdle could continue at Cheltenham on Tuesday but it remains to be seen whether it will be last year's winner Vroum Vroum Mag or Limini that will prove his number one hope.

Ireland's champion jumps trainer has won the last eight runnings and is responsible for the two main protagonists this time.

Stable jockey Ruby Walsh may have sided with Limini out of the Rich Ricci-owned pair, but Vroum Vroum Mag's rider Paul Townend will no doubt fancy his chances. After all, he landed the spoils on the Mullins second string Glens Melody two years ago after Annie Power crashed out at the final flight.

Understandably, Limini is favourite to come out on top and she has had a light campaign.

Winner of the mares' novice hurdle at the 2016 Festival, Limini defeated Apple's Jade on her only run of the winter, leading to much speculation as to whether she would be supplemented for the Champion Hurdle.

Vroum Vroum Mag has had a busier time, as connections had to decide which of her many Cheltenham entries the eight-year-old was going to take up.

They plumped for the tried and tested option, although the mare appeared to under-perform when scrambling home by a head from Midnight Jazz, who was rated 16lb inferior, at Doncaster in January.

Mullins believes Vroum Vroum Mag had a valid excuse and she was found to be under the weather when she returned to Ireland.

"I think she was just brewing something over in Doncaster, some sort of cold. When we brought her home we gave her antibiotics and an easy time," said the Closutton trainer.

"She's done a few bits of work since, she's coming back right and we're much happier with her."

Limini showed her well-being when beating Apple's Jade at Punchestown last month in her first race since the festival meeting at that track at the end of April.

"I went to Punchestown thinking 'am I mad going there'. Last year when Annie Power won it you'd probably have said before the race it would be a schooling hurdle for her, with what was in the race," said Mullins.

"This year I thought Apple's Jade wouldn't make it easy for us and maybe a hard race three weeks before Cheltenham is not good.

"But we'd said we were going to run, so we probably had to turn up and I just hoped it wouldn't turn into a race of attrition.

"We thought we'd ride the race Ruby did ride and everything just fell into place.

"What I didn't think was that Limini could pull out and go past her without getting a slap, which begs two questions - have we improved that much? I thought we'd improved at home, but I didn't know we'd improved that much and did Apple's Jade run up to her form?

"Limini didn't have a hard race and pulled out of it well. It was not more than she would do if we didn't go to Punchestown and took her away somewhere.

"Her jumping has improved hugely from last year."

Walsh explained why he plumped for Limini, and how difficult the choice had been.

"I suppose I've thought for a while this was going to happen, and still at 11.30 on Sunday morning I wasn't sure (what to ride), and I suppose I've gone with recent form and Limini's recent form is better than Vroum Vroum Mag's," he told Racing UK.

"Vroum Vroum Mag has definitely done more and proven more in her career than Limini has, but there's nothing between them on ratings and not much between them on their home work and I just took a chance on Limini being the one that's improving, whereas Vroum Vroum Mag may have plateaued.

"That's only my hunch, I could very well be wrong and there's a big chance I am wrong. I've done a lot of things as a jockey, but I don't think I've ever figured out how to ride two in one race. I had to make a choice."

Gordon Elliott expects Apple's Jade to have come improved for her run behind Limini.

"I'd say she takes her racing well and she'll definitely come on for the run in Punchestown, but I'm not making excuses - the best horse won on the day," he said.

"We might struggle to beat Limini again, but I think Apple's Jade will be a better horse in Cheltenham and a lead would help, as she's idle enough.

"She obviously was the best filly on the day in the Hatton's Grace - she won it - but it's all about being the best on the day.

"On another day Vroum Vroum Mag could beat her, she could beat Limini.

"I'm lucky to have her, she's won a Grade One for us this year and been second on her other three starts.

"I'm looking forward to running her."

Rock On The Moor was beaten some way in third place behind Limini and Apple's Jade at Punchestown after picking up an injury but she was runner-up in this race 12 months ago.

"She's in good form. She actually got a bad injury at the beginning of December, which is why she's come back over hurdles," said her trainer Jessica Harrington.

The fifth Irish raider is Jer's Girl. She is a dual Grade One winner over this trip and arrives a fresh horse having not raced since finishing last of five behind Champion Hurdle hope Petit Mouchoir in the Rynaair Hurdle at Leoaprdstown's Christmas meeting.

"She's in great form. It's quite a good race, but I'm hopeful of a big run," said her trainer Gavin Cromwell.

"Her preparation has gone to plan and I'm very happy with her."

Fergal O'Brien had thought of keeping Colin's Sister to novice company at this year's Festival but has opted for the Mares' Hurdle as the ground is in her favour on day one of the meeting.

Colin's Sister has made a tremendous start to her hurdling career, winning all her four starts to date.

"She's 25-1. I would have preferred to go in the novice, but the ground will be a lot quicker by then. We'll get the best of the ground and it's fingers crossed," said the Naunton handler.

"There are some very good horses in there, but she will be trying her best.

"She definitely deserves to run in a race like this and she'll probably be running in it next year. It would have been nice to stick to the novice, but we've made the choice to go for this instead."

Trainer Ben Case feels Midnight Case has the right to be in the line-up after she pushed Vroum Vroum, Mag all the way at Doncaster

"Beaten a head by Vroum Vroum Mag was quite tough to take," he told At The Races.

"We expected her to run well. She gallops and stays and the track at Doncaster suited her.

"She has run well over two and a half miles at Cheltenham in a handicap - this is a different kettle of fish, but there is nowhere else for her to go

"We're hoping if she can get in the first five or six she has run well."