Lossiemouth, the grey mare owned by Rich Ricci and trained by Willie Mullins, delivered a commanding performance to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. The 7-5 favourite came home six and a half lengths clear of Brighterdaysahead, with The New Lion a further half-length back in third.
Ricci, a former banker, admitted to feeling emotional after the victory. 'It’s a privilege to have a horse like this,' he said. 'This game continues to excite me, to entice me and to make me spend stupid money.' The decision to run in the Champion Hurdle rather than the Mares' Hurdle was a gamble that paid off handsomely.
This was Lossiemouth's 14th win from 18 career starts and her fourth victory at the Cheltenham Festival, having previously won the Triumph Hurdle in 2023. The win came after a disappointing defeat behind Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle last month, but the application of cheekpieces and better ground conditions made the difference.
Trainer Willie Mullins praised the mare's performance. 'She has that mare’s pedigree which gives her that bit of speed and the cheekpieces, I think, just made a huge difference,' he said. 'It made her concentrate that bit more.' Jockey Paul Townend, who fell at the last in the same race 12 months ago, added: 'I was just happy to land running at the back of the last this year.'
Lossiemouth is now priced at around 3-1 to repeat her success in the 2027 Champion Hurdle. Meanwhile, Old Park Star, winner of the Supreme Novice Hurdle earlier on the card, is around 8-1 for next year's Champion, though trainer Nicky Henderson suggested he is more likely to target the Arkle Trophy.
