Lossiemouth top of market for Champion Hurdle with sensational Hatton's Grace Hurdle run
Lossiemouth One Paul Grace Jockey Riding Bar On Hurdle Racing Townend Winning High: After The Hatton's
The Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth was simply sensational in the Grade One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on Sunday afternoon at Fairyhouse, producing a performance which hardened her position at the top of the market for the Champion Hurdle.
The five-year-old grey was taking on Stayers Hurdle champion Teahupoo, who was seeking a hat-trick in this race, but she casually brushed him aside in the manner of a mare whose connections are entitled to believe they have found their second Annie Power.
Beacon Edge set a modest pace in this one, with stablemate Teahupoo following him around, and all the while the eventual winner was racing more enthusiastically than ideal. A mistake four from home could have put Lossiemouth on the backfoot, but she was quickly back in the hands of Paul Townend and, just as quickly, travelling all over her rivals.
Although Teahupoo took over jumping the second-last, a glance behind revealed the heavily backed Lossiemouth full of running. Townend delayed his challenge until the final hurdle, after which he just had to nudge her clear of her market rival for a performance which was enough to see her Champion Hurdle odds tumble to 6-4 in places, with 2-1 the top price.
“She was very good,” said Townend. “The mistake was down to me, not her. I wanted to just miss it, but not as much as that, but I was happy when she missed it that she took a little blow for herself and settled into it nicely then. She had been fresh early in the race and she got that out of her system and came back on the bridle and it was easy work from there.
“She does everything well, and I gave her half a squeeze down to the last and she just lengthened. She was so quick from one side to the other that we landed running.” The winning trainer was unsurprised at what he saw, particularly with the way the race panned out.
“With the pace of the race, I was hoping that’s what she would do,” he admitted. “The only upset was the fourth-last, but when I was looking at the first mile and a half, I thought if they keep doing this, it’s only a matter of jumping home. Anyone looking at it would think she’s going to have more speed than her opposition.
“She’s done everything right in her career. We went for the Mares’ Hurdle last year, and we were always going for the Champion Hurdle this season, and she’s on course for that.
“I’ll try to keep herself and State Man apart. He will go to Leopardstown – he loves that place – and I’ll find something else for her.” Gordon Elliott, trainer of the runner-up, expects improvement from his horse but not enough to be thinking about a rematch.
“I thought my horse ran a great race,” he said. “He lost nothing in defeat. He was beaten by a very, very good mare, giving her 7lbs. She looks just a bit special, and we’ll be trying to avoid her wherever she goes.
“I think he’s stronger this year and there’ll be improvement on today, though I don’t think we’d win with a stone the way the mare won, but I think he will be sharper for today.” Earlier in the day, Mullins was responsible for five of the eight runners in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, this year downgraded to a Grade Two, and while he didn’t saddle the odds-on favourite, he landed the spoils with Tounsivator, ridden by his nephew, Danny.
The winner, who was well beaten in a listed handicap at Listowel on his previous run, having won a novice at Kilbeggan, ran into a little trouble in the latter stages of this race, but the Temple Bloodstock Tounsivator Syndicate-owner five-year-old switched left and picked up in great style to turn over 1-2 favourite Romeo Coolio.
“Winning is everything, but syndicates winning big races like today, it brings so much to racing,” said the winning rider. “It shows you don’t have to be a superpower. On a budget, you can come together and get it done, and beat the best, and it’s fantastic for racing that it happened today.”