Lossiemouth Dominates Champion Hurdle as Mullins’ Bold Gamble Pays Off
3 minutes Twelve months ago, Lossiemouth claimed another Mares’ Hurdle victory but the result felt somewhat unsatisfying, particularly after events in the Champion Hurdle hinted that a bigger prize might have been within reach.
A year after questions lingered about what might have been, Lossiemouth delivered a definitive answer at Cheltenham, producing a commanding performance to capture the Champion Hurdle and underline her class on the biggest stage.
Rich and Susannah Ricci’s grey star had previously dominated the Mares’ Hurdle division, but this time she stepped out of the shadows of the two-mile championship race and emphatically dismissed her rivals, turning the tables on familiar opponent Brighterdaysahead in impressive fashion.
Twelve months ago, Lossiemouth claimed another Mares’ Hurdle victory but the result felt somewhat unsatisfying, particularly after events in the Champion Hurdle hinted that a bigger prize might have been within reach. This season, circumstances shifted again after stablemate State Man was ruled out through injury, leaving trainer Willie Mullins to reconsider the plan.
Lossiemouth had already enjoyed success earlier in the campaign, landing both the Morgiana Hurdle and the December Hurdle, beating Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown in the latter. However, the Gordon Elliott-trained mare reversed that form in the Irish Champion Hurdle, leaving many to believe Lossiemouth might once again target the Mares’ Hurdle.
But the Closutton team opted for a different path.
With Constitution Hill no longer in the picture and the Champion Hurdle looking wide open, Mullins and connections decided to take their chance. Fitted with first-time cheekpieces, the seven-year-old delivered the performance of her career, surging clear to beat Brighterdaysahead by six and a half lengths — a dramatic reversal of their previous meeting.
The victory continued Lossiemouth’s flawless Cheltenham Festival record, which began with her Triumph Hurdle triumph in 2023, and marked her fourth straight win at the meeting.
Paul Townend, who partnered the mare to victory, was quick to praise her display, saying: “She was brilliant.” Reflecting on previous debates about her Champion Hurdle credentials, he added: “I was always on the fence about her in Champion Hurdles… but the way things worked out this time we had a very able deputy.”
Townend tracked the pace set by Jack Kennedy on Brighterdaysahead before moving into contention approaching the home straight. Still travelling strongly two out, Lossiemouth quickly asserted on the turn for home and bounded clear after the last hurdle to seal a decisive success.
Brighterdaysahead stayed on to secure second place, while The New Lion finished third with Alexei taking fourth. Last year’s winner Golden Ace could manage only fifth.
The triumph also carried historical significance. Lossiemouth became the latest mare to capture the race since Annie Power ended a long drought for female winners, with Honeysuckle also achieving multiple victories in recent years.
For owner Rich Ricci, it was another memorable moment in a race that has already brought him considerable success.
“It’s ten years since Annie Power won,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see the crowd and to be part of days like this. When you win a race like the Champion Hurdle it’s incredibly special.”
Trainer Willie Mullins was equally delighted with the result and the decision to equip the mare with cheekpieces for the first time.
“They helped her concentrate more,” Mullins explained. “When we watched her work in them the other morning, Paul and I both felt it was the right move. Then the race started to look open, so we thought: why not take a chance?”
Reflecting on the significance of the victory, he added: “To win the Champion Hurdle definitely outranks everything else she’s done.”
The performance earned Lossiemouth a career-best Racing Post Rating and cemented her place among the standout Champion Hurdle winners of recent years, with analysts noting she rates the best victor since Constitution Hill.
Now with ten Grade 1 victories and more than £1 million in prize money to her name, Lossiemouth has firmly secured her place among the modern greats of National Hunt racing — and at just seven years old, there may still be more chapters to come.
