Lossiemouth team eager to seize Champion Hurdle challenge

Connections feel the open nature of the race will give Lossiemouth the best chance she is ever likely to get in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare was declared for Tuesday’s feature race at the Cheltenham Festival and will line up there instead of in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, a race she has won twice previously.

Lossiemouth has won two of her three starts this term, most recently being beaten by the reopposing Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown last month, and Mullins will equip his charge with cheekpieces for the first time in the Cotswolds.

David Casey, assistant to Mullins, said on Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday show: “Obviously I won’t say the Mares’ is a weaker race, there’s some good horses in there and Wodhooh is a formidable opponent, but it probably looked like her best chance of winning a Champion Hurdle.

“I think there are slight question marks about plenty of runners in the field and she’s already won two Mares’ Hurdles, so I think it was worth rolling the dice.

“I would say she is (best chance out of the three Mullins runners). She’s proven that she loves the track and she comes alive when she gets over there, and I think a bit better ground would be no harm.

“I think they might just sharpen her up at the start, with the likes of Tutti Quanti going in there now and Brighterdaysahead I think there will be plenty of pace.

“She was quite keen at the start of her career, but the longer she’s gone on the more relaxed she’s been.

“She’s done most of her racing over two and a half miles, where we have been slowing her down a little bit, so I think that might help sharpen her a little bit.

“She looks in great order. We put the cheekpieces on her the other morning for a bit of work and she worked really well.”

Mullins has also declared last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros and Anzadam.

Lossiemouth is the 9-4 joint-favourite with Coral for the Champion, along with the Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion, who was a Trials Day winner at Cheltenham on his most recent start in January.

Golden Ace secured a surprise victory last year after crashing falls for Constitution Hill and State Man and is back to defend her crown for Jeremy Scott, while Gordon Elliott’s mare Brighterdaysahead is another who will go up against the boys.

Joe Tizzard’s Alexei, Tutti Quanti for Paul Nicholls and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Workahead complete the field.

Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes will go head-to-head in a fascinating battle after seven horses were declared for the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase.

Henderson’s superstar Lulamba has yet to taste defeat in three chase races, while last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Kopek Des Bordes, trained by Mullins, eased to a 13-length success on his only start over fences in November.

The Closutton handler has the only mare in the field with Kargese, while Steel Ally (Sam Thomas), Mambonumberfive (Ben Pauling), Jax Junior (Lucy Wadham) and Hansard (Gary and Josh Moore) complete the line-up.

Irish Panther was a notable absentee, with joint-trainer Eddie Harty confirming he will instead contest Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, while Elliott’s Romeo Coolio was also not declared but has alternative Festival options.

Old Park Star, Mighty Park and El Cairos all feature among 12 declarations for the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Grand National favourite Iroko heading a 22-strong field for the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.

Saratoga is one of 22 in the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, better known as the Fred Winter, with Madara heading the market for the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase and 17 declared for the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.