Lossiemouth seeks 11th Grade One victory in Punchestown Champion Hurdle

Key facts

• Lossiemouth is 3-3 at Punchestown and odds-on to extend her course record.
• She won the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle in March, her fourth consecutive Festival victory.
• The mare has 10 Grade One wins and 14 victories from 18 starts.
• She is seeking her 11th Grade One success in the €300,000 feature.
• Lossiemouth was beaten by Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown but reversed form with cheekpieces at Cheltenham.
• Golden Ace, last year's runner-up, returns with cheekpieces for the first time.
• State Man, winner of the past three runnings, is sidelined.
• The race is part of Punchestown's 'Ladies Day' card.

A mare on the verge of greatness

Lossiemouth, the seven-year-old grey trained by Willie Mullins, bids to add another chapter to her remarkable career in Friday's Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown. Already unbeaten in three starts at the Co Kildare circuit, she is long odds-on to make it four and secure her 11th Grade One victory. The race, worth €300,000, is the highlight of the festival's 'Ladies Day' card. Her Cheltenham Champion Hurdle triumph last month was her fourth consecutive win at the Festival, a feat that places her in the company of the great Quevega. Mullins, who also saddles stable companions Absurde and Anzadam, described her record as 'a fair statistic' and noted she is 'getting into Quevega territory.'

Reversing the Leopardstown defeat

Lossiemouth's only recent blemish came at Leopardstown in the Irish Champion Hurdle, where she was beaten by Brighterdaysahead. However, the application of cheekpieces at Cheltenham saw her comprehensively reverse that form, shooting clear of her rival. Brighterdaysahead subsequently upheld the form with a win at Aintree. Mullins revealed that jockey Paul Townend, who rides Lossiemouth, had previously preferred State Man but now holds the mare in high regard. 'Paul would never have got off State Man to ride Lossiemouth any day of the week and told me that more than once over the last couple of years, but what a mare she is too,' Mullins said.

The opposition: Golden Ace and British raiders

Jeremy Scott's Golden Ace, winner of the 2025 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, returns to Punchestown after finishing second to State Man last year. She arrives following a fifth at Cheltenham and a fourth at Aintree this spring. Scott has fitted cheekpieces for the first time, hoping they will help her maintain her position. 'The hope is they will just help her maintain their position - they won't slow her down anyway,' he said. Golden Ace is joined by Jonjo and A J O'Neill's County Hurdle winner Wilful, who steps up from handicap company. The home team includes David Harry Kelly's outsider Glen Kiln and Barry Connell's long-absent William Munny. Connell, keen to test Champion Hurdle waters, described the division as 'not the strongest at the moment.'

Mullins' supporting cast and Cheltenham echoes

Mullins also runs Absurde, a high-class dual-purpose performer, and Anzadam, a talented but keen-going horse who lost all chance at Cheltenham with a bad mistake at the second flight. Mullins hopes to get a better handle on Anzadam, suggesting he may need to go over fences to become easier to handle. The Champion Hurdle is the final leg of an unofficial Triple Crown of Cheltenham championship winners for Mullins this week. Gaelic Warrior and Il Etait Temps have already completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown double, with dominant performances in the Gold Cup and Champion Chase respectively. King Rasko Grey, another Cheltenham winner from Closutton, also runs on the card.

Numbers that define a champion

Lossiemouth's record is exceptional: 14 wins from 18 starts, with three runner-up finishes. Her only major setback was a fall at Leopardstown last season. She has won four times at the Cheltenham Festival, matching Quevega's streak, and now targets a fourth consecutive Punchestown victory. Quevega won six in a row at Cheltenham and four at Punchestown, but Lossiemouth's range of achievements bears comparison with Annie Power, the 2016 Champion Hurdle heroine. Annie Power enjoyed odds-on cruises in the Mares Hurdle at this festival; Lossiemouth won the same race two years ago. Now she seeks to cement her status at the top of the division. Her 7lb sex allowance further tilts the scales in her favour.

What comes next

If Lossiemouth wins, she will likely be aimed at further Grade One targets next season, with Mullins already eyeing a potential successor. Owner Rich Ricci, who described her as his 'favourite horse of all time,' hopes he has already found the next Lossiemouth. The mare's immediate focus, however, is on Friday's race, where she is expected to dominate. For the opposition, the task is daunting. Golden Ace and company are effectively fighting for second place unless Lossiemouth underperforms. The race is scheduled for 6.40pm, with the rest of the card also featuring King Rasko Grey in the Turners Novices' Hurdle.

A fitting finale to a remarkable week

Punchestown's festival has already delivered drama and emotion, with Bob Olinger retiring after a brilliant victory in the Champion Stayers Hurdle and Kopek Des Bordes falling at the second-last fence in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase. Gaelic Warrior earned a Racing Post Rating of 183 for his Gold Cup win. Lossiemouth now has the chance to complete a famous hat-trick for Mullins and Townend. Her performance will be measured against the greats of the sport. A victory would not only extend her unbeaten course record but also reinforce her place among the best mares Mullins has trained. The only question is whether she can maintain her dominance into next season.

The bottom line

• Lossiemouth is odds-on to win the Boodles Champion Hurdle, extending her unbeaten Punchestown record to four.
• She has 10 Grade One wins and 14 victories from 18 starts, with her only major defeat reversed at Cheltenham.
• Golden Ace, last year's runner-up, returns with cheekpieces but faces a tough task against the 7lb sex allowance.
• Willie Mullins has won the past three runnings with State Man, who is sidelined this year.
• The race is part of a week where Mullins' Cheltenham winners Gaelic Warrior and Il Etait Temps have already doubled up.
• Lossiemouth is closing in on Quevega's record of six consecutive Cheltenham Festival wins.