Lossiemouth out to state Champion Hurdle case at Leopardstown

After Sir Gino’s emphatic comeback victory at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, Lossiemouth takes centre stage in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown, where she bids to confirm she too will be a big player in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

With her Willie Mullins-trained stablemate State Man ruled out for the season and Constitution Hill plans currently up in the air, the mare became a hot favourite for the blue riband when winning on her seasonal return.

The picture changed when Sir Gino, a stablemate of former champion Constitution Hill, showed no ill effects from a life-threatening infection he picked up last season as he stormed to victory in the Christmas Hurdle after a year off.

“Paul (Townend) asked her a big enough question the pace he went from the start in the Morgiana and a lot of Willie’s novices at least haven’t been hitting the target, so I guess that run, in hindsight, would look that bit better since,” said Joe Chambers, racing manager for Lossiemouth’s owners, Rich and Susannah Ricci.

“There’s been no bad news since Punchestown, we’re not owners who go contacting Willie every day for bad news so we’re very much looking forward to it.

“Gordon (Elliott) is sending his good mare (Brighterdaysahead) to take her on and the inside track at Leopardstown over two miles will be plenty sharp for her and it will probably be ground worries more than anything else.

“We wouldn’t mind a drop of rain and we do think she has a preference for softer ground, but if she is to justify her price at the head of the Champion Hurdle market, she is going to have to take care of business.”

For Elliott, who has been the man to follow over the Christmas period, it is a change of tack with Brighterdaysahead.

She had been due to go novice chasing this season but a minor setback delayed her reappearance until now.

She demolished State Man in this race last season but has been unable to repeat that kind of performance since.

“She’s in good form. She will come on for the run, but we’re going to let her start off and see where we are,” said Elliott.

Mullins also runs Anzadam (Patrick Mullins), Irancy (Mark Walsh) and Winter Fog (Brian Hayes) while Casheldale Lad, Futurum Regem and Hello Neighbour complete the line up.