Willie Mullins’ mare Lossiemouth is the new Champion Hurdle favourite after a decisive victory in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, easily defeating previous winner Teahupoo.
The five-year-old was returning to action after an unbeaten campaign last term that included Grade One victories at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals.
She had been beaten only once in nine starts prior to her Grade One Fairyhouse assignment, where she started the 4/7 favourite under Paul Townend in a field of four.
She was never hurried along and looked content in the slipstream of her rivals for much of the way, with dual race winner Teahupoo taking up the lead in the home straight.
Lossiemouth had not even hit top gear behind him, however, and when asked was easily able to sweep by and claim a three-and-three-quarter-length victory – with Betfair making her the 6/4 favourite from 9/4 for the Champion Hurdle.
“It was very impressive, they went very steady which I think suited us,” said Mullins.
“She has that bit of speed. She has a nice Flat pedigree and when they went steady, it was bar a fall or something like that. She did make a bad mistake at the fourth last but when it came down to a speed race, I thought she was going to win that anyway.
“Her dam is a half-sister to Lord Glitters, who was a good miler a few years ago for David O’Meara. That’s the sort of pedigree she has, she has that bit of speed that always comes in handy when they go steady.”
When asked if he would keep reigning champion hurdler State Man and the winner separate, Mullins added: “I imagine we’ll try to keep them apart.
“There is no point us knocking our heads against one another. We can do that later on in the season and we’ll find out more about what’s in England.
“State Man will probably go to Leopardstown at Christmas. She went to the International Hurdle last year but we’ll have to look at the conditions of that as it mightn’t suit.”
Croke Park and Sam Ewing win the Drinmore Novice Steeplechase
Croke Park prevails in Drinmore thriller
Croke Park held on resolutely to claim a hard-fought win in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
Trainer Gordon Elliott saddled three of the five runners, with Henry de Bromhead responsible for the other two as a small field assembled for the Grade One.
Sam Ewing gave the winner a front-running ride as the outsider at odds of 22/1, with stablemate Firefox the evens favourite.
After nearly two-and-a-half miles his resolve was tested, however, with the favourite and De Bromhead’s Heart Wood challenging and Gorgeous Tom also finishing very swiftly.
Croke Park dug deep and in a four-way finish, he managed to hold on by just a neck.
“That was brilliant. The horse probably won an average enough beginners’ chase here the last day and I didn’t know if the form was good enough, but that’s why I run them in the races,” said Elliott.
“Sometimes people say I shouldn’t run as many, but if you’re not in you can’t win and that’s what racing is about. This lad was 22/1.
“Sam gave him a great ride. Those are the races you want to see, there were four or five of them within a couple of lengths jumping the last. They went steady but it was a great race.
“I thought Henry’s horse would make it, to be honest, and Sam would sit second.
“With those jockeys, if you are telling them what to do going out you are telling them wrong. I just leave them to themselves.
“The three horses ran great races. Firefox was only beaten a neck and a short head and Shecouldbeanything was only beaten a couple of lengths.
“On another day any of the horses could have won it. Mark Walsh was coming fast at the line.
“Croke Park has been disappointing up until now to be honest. He wasn’t cheap but thankfully he’s got his Grade One now, so we’re happy.”
Tounsivator and Paul Townend won the Royal Bond
Tounsivator takes Royal Bond triumph
Willie Mullins’ Tounsivator came out on top when defeating four stablemates to take the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
Under Danny Mullins, he was a 12/1 shot with Elliott’s Romeo Coolio sent off 1/2 favourite for the Grade Two contest after finishing second in last season’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
The latter horse was upstaged by the winner, however, with Tounsivator throwing down a challenge in the final two furlongs and drawing level with the Romeo Coolio over the final flight.
After that he stuck gamely to the task, prevailing by two-and-a-half lengths with the favourite behind him and Sea Of Sands back in third.
“I thought every horse that we ran there had a chance if they ran their best race,” said Willie Mullins.
“He might have had the fitness edge on them as he’d been running for us during the summer.
“He was a nice purchase for Temple Bloodstock and I’m very pleased for Aubrey McMahon. He was a reasonably priced horse and it’s tremendous for the syndicate to win a race like that.
“Aubrey seems to be able to buy them cheap, he also had the English Cesarewitch winner.
“I’m very happy with him and I’d imagine we’ll go on to Christmas now with him. The ground conditions probably suited him better today.”
Naturally Nimble on his way to victory
Naturally Nimble registers 33/1 shock at Fairyhouse
Naturally Nimble caused an upset when ousting Willy De Houelle in the Bar One Racing “Price Boosts Across All Channels” Juvenile Hurdle.
The latter horse was the 1/4 favourite as he made his Irish debut for Willie Mullins in the Grade Three, with Joseph O’Brien’s Naturally Nimble a 33/1 chance having been well beaten on his hurdling debut.
His prior Flat form was reasonable, however, and his pedigree an interesting one as he is a half-brother to the German Group-winning sprinter Namos.
Under Richard Deegan he travelled towards the rear of the six-strong field, and when drawing level with the favourite in the final stages, he was able to show his turn of foot to secure victory by a length and a half.
“He disappointed us a little bit last week so we said we’d hunt around here and see. He did it well,” said Deegan.
“They went a good gallop and the race probably fell apart a little bit in front of us and we were there to pick up the pieces. He stayed at it well.
“He was at a high level on the Flat, so hopefully he can keep coming along. He wants that nice ground.”
Naturally Nimble is now a 20/1 chance with Coral for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
