A pair of horses called Lossiemouth will be in action at Saturday’s Trials Day in Cheltenham, although it is Willie Mullins’s star mare of that name around which so much of the build-up will revolve.
Beaten by Britain’s top hurdler Constitution Hill at Kempton over Christmas, the French-bred Lossiemouth has a shot at revenge in the Grade Two Unibet Hurdle after both were among six entries left in the race at Monday’s latest acceptance stage. It means that what had been anticipated to be a straightforward pre-festival warm-up for Constitution Hill now shapes up as a potentially mouthwatering Anglo-Irish head-to-head.
Ireland’s Lossiemouth is distinguished from a smart British-trained runner of the same name by her French breeding. For his part, Lossiemouth (GB) figures among entries for Saturday’s Betfair Cleeve Hurdle. That’s one of a handful of Grade Two races on Saturday’s Cheltenham programme that promise to be an acid test of festival credentials for the home team particularly.
Along with Delta Work and Gentlemansgame, Mullins’s Capodanno is also in the mix to try to repeat his 2024 success in the Cotswold Chase, although otherwise much of Saturday’s action looks to be about the cross-channel pecking order.
Lossiemouth has chance of revenge against Constitution Hill at Cheltenham Trials Day
Nicky Henderson sets himself up for Cheltenham festival resurgence with latest big-race success
Appreciate It relishes ground conditions to bridge two-year gap and land Thurles feature
Blood Destiny Paul Townend’s pick for Grade Two Thurles highlight
The tantalising exception is the prospect of round two of Constitution Hill vs Lossiemouth and a rare heavyweight clash just seven weeks out from the festival.
“Apparently, it will be a rematch,” Constitution Hill’s trainer Nicky Henderson said on Monday after his stable star had a morning schooling session. “He’s in great form. He jumped five hurdles in the fog this morning and he was his usual self. We always give him a pop a few days before he runs - not every horse but with him it just flicks his switch,” he added.
Two and a half lengths separated the pair at Kempton, where Constitution Hill’s successful return after a year out through a series of setbacks inevitably grabbed the headlines.
Having looked to struggle for much of that race, Lossiemouth plugged on to eventually get within 2½ lengths of her rival at the line, and Mullins was quick to take the positives out of her performance. He put her defeat down to being taken off her feet due to the decent early gallop and having had most of her previous starts more than half a mile further.
“She’ll have learned a lot and we’ll have her sharper again,” he said. “I loved the way she finished her race. A lot of people passed the comment that it was the first time Constitution Hill got four slaps of the persuader – he might never have had one before.”
Whether either the Mullins or Henderson camp would ideally like a hard race – and plentiful “persuader” use – for their charges at this point of the season may ultimately have a bearing on whether this Trials treat takes place or not. But initial bookmaker reaction was to make Constitution Hill a heavy odds-on favourite, with Lossiemouth a general 2-1 shot to repeat her success in the race a year ago.
In other news, three of Britain’s top tracks – Ascot, Goodwood and York – have combined to offer up to £1 million (€1.18 million) as part of a “midsummer bonus” in order to attract non-European runners to some of its top races. It is available for horses sent to both the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes which are runs just days apart next summer.
The £1 million bonus will be paid out should the winners of both races be owned or trained by the same person. If the horses are placed in both races, a £250,000 bonus will be paid.
Any horse that wins either the King George or Sussex, and then runs in the Juddmonte International at York, will receive a £250,000 appearance fee.
“We have been collectively considering how to maximise global attention on the midsummer period in Britain” when fewer big overseas events are taking place, said an Ascot spokesperson. “The thinking behind the midsummer bonus is that the opening races are, effectively, the same week, and this presents an opportunity to promote the whole week and all its international options as one entity.”
Tuesday’s domestic action is in Down Royal, where Rachael Blackmore travels for four spins on Henry de Bromhead horses. A step up for his run at Punchestown last month could see Zurich prove the best of them in a novice chase.
Karoline Banbou is the sole Mullins runner and, having found stable companion Baby Kate too good on his Irish debut, looks like having a good opportunity to go one better in this opening maiden hurdle.
Albatala found only one too good at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day and looks to hold decent claims in a handicap, as does ½in another.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to the Counter Ruck podcast for the best rugby chat and analysis
