The champion trainer regularly sends a team of 50-plus horses to the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds - and while Monkfish is unlikely to be one of his leading hopes, he has certainly earned his place on the ferry.
A dominant winner at Fairyhouse last month, the six-year-old was the 5/4 favourite to follow up in the hands of Paul Townend.
The race was still in the balance two flights from home, but Run Wild Fred's heavy fall left the Monkfish in the clear and he was 20 lengths ahead of eventual runner-up Alpine Cobra at the line.
Mullins said: "It was a good performance by Monkfish. More than likely he'll run in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, but he'll be entered in the Ballymore also.
"That was a good trial for the Albert Bartlett, if that is the direction we go."
Elimay maintains upward curve
Elimay maintained her unbeaten record over fences with an ultimately authoritative success in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Capri Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase.
A winner over hurdles at Punchestown and Killarney last spring, the Mullins-trained grey made a smooth transition to the larger obstacles when landing a Grade Three event on her seasonal reappearance at Cork last month.
Despite conceding 3lb to each of her five rivals in this Grade Two contest, she was a heavily backed 4/7 favourite under Mark Walsh - and duly landed the odds in good style.
Elimay's stablemate Cut The Mustard gave her a lead into the home straight, but the market leader asserted soon after to come home nine lengths clear.
Mullins said: "Elimay is coming on all the whole time. Mark (Walsh) said she missed the ditch and I thought she hit a flat spot and she did it the hard way then, having to come around (wide).
"I thought Cut The Mustard ran a great race. She is improving and for her second run over fences, I was very pleased with her. I'm pleased with the two of them."
Mullins was claiming this prize for the fourth time in the last six years following the recent triumphs of Vroum Vroum Mag (2015), Westerner Lady (2017) and Camelia De Cotte (2019).
He added: "One, if not the two of them, could go for the Dawn Run Novice Chase at Limerick in March. I don't have anything else obvious for that race."
Mullins went on to complete a treble, with Real Steel landing the featured Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase.
Sunrise shines for Queally
Arcadian Sunrise justified 5/2 favouritism in the Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle.
The winner of a Carlisle bumper in November, John Queally's charge filled the runner-up spot behind the exciting Saint Roi on his hurdling debut at Tramore on New Year's Day and was well fancied to go one better.
Whatsnotoknow made a race of it, but Arcadian Sunrise passed the post half a length to the good in the hands of Denis O'Regan.
Queally said: "There is a winners' auction race coming up somewhere and that's where he'll go. These auction races are a good idea for those type of horses.
"We bumped into one at Tramore, trying to give him 10lb.
"We'll get through the next race before deciding on running in the series final at Punchestown."
Trainer Barry Murphy teamed up with 7lb claimer Oakley Brown to land the Matty Ryan Memorial Handicap Hurdle with 4/1 shot Pakens Rock.
Noel Meade's Ice Cold Soul (13/2) gained a narrow verdict in the www.thurlesraces.ie Handicap Chase, with Eoin Walsh the winning pilot.
There was a surprise result in the concluding bumper, with Liam Burke's 7/1 shot Coolbane Boy and Tom Feeney inflicting defeat on Mullins-trained hotpot Power Of Pause (3/10 favourite).
