We will know for sure whether Rich Ricci’s late change of heart to switch Lossiemouth to the Mares’ Hurdle from the Champion Hurdle will materialise very soon.
As Willie Mullins shuffles his burgeoning pack of cards and finalises which superstar goes where, Lossiemouth is the talk of the town. Owner Ricci has been on the Cheltenham Festival preview circuit, who hasn’t, this week and explained valid reasons for taking up the Mares option.
Lossiemouth took a heavy fall in the Dublin Racing Festival last month and throwing her in against Constitution Hill and Brighterdaysahead carries obvious risks. For Lossiemouth to be a factor in the Champion Hurdle, she needs to be fully confident and in rude health. It’s hard to have a great deal of faith after her fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
She’s already been beaten by Constitution Hill at Kempton at Christmas and the two-year plan of Mullins campaigning her to be a Champion Hurdle horse is in serious doubt on the grounds of a fall the last day and maybe just simply not being good or quick enough to be a Champion Hurdler.
So connections have sensible reasoning to go to the Mares’ Hurdle. There’s no point criticising them for doing what they think is best by their horse as that’s the only priority.
The bigger problem is that the Mares’ Hurdle option is there in the first place in its current form. And we’ve been here before. For all that Honeysuckle’s fairytale win in the Mares’ Hurdle in 2023 was a special emotional moment, it doesn’t dispel from the fact that she was not defending her Champion Hurdle crown.
Lossiemouth may switch targets from the Champion Hurdle to the Mares’ Hurdle
Owner of Lossiemouth Rich Ricci can’t be blamed for potentially taking up the easier option
Trainer Willie Mullins will assemble a powerful team for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival
This was a penalty kick last year for Lossiemouth that was duly delivered and Ricci, who is admittedly enduring a frustrating season and desperately wants a sure-fired Festival winner, sees the same scenario unfolding in 2025. The potential defection of Brighterdaysahead and/or Lossiemouth to the Mares’ Hurdle has lurked in the background of the build-up to the Champion Hurdle all season like a bad smell.
It’s time for The Jockey Club to make further changes in combatting this ducking and diving that all too often prevails. It’s too easy to do. Make the Mares’ Hurdle a Grade Two in keeping with the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and the Mares’ Chase and that would make the decision to switch a lot tougher.
Mares get 7lbs in weight in the Champion Hurdle but Grade One winners dropping into a Grade Two would carry a penalty in what would be a less valuable race by category as well as historic stature.
It wouldn’t solve the fundamental issue of there simply being not enough top-class horses to fill these races but it should make the easier option less attractive on face value.
There’s still plenty of anticipation for this Cheltenham Festival but the prices, entries, attendances and number of runners in Graded races don’t lie. Even with the removal of the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase, we will not get eight runners in the Brown Advisory of the Arkle.
This bloated programme leads to more uncompetitive races and Lossiemouth’s potential last-minute defection to the Mares’ Hurdle is the biggest example of it. Regardless of the final call, it’s the fact that the option is there to do it which is the fundamental problem.
SELECTIONS FOR EACH DAY OF THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
Various short-prices favourites look hard to oppose on Tuesday in the graded contests, so it’s to the final handicap of the day where HAITI COULEURS (4-1, Sky Bet) looks to have the ideal profile for the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase (Tuesday, 5.20) for trainer Rebecca Curtis.
A mark of 135 looks very workable and his win over transmission at the same course in December looks solid form. His spin over hurdles should tee him up nicely for this and he’s an uncomplicated sort who jumps efficiently. He’s got a favourite’s chance in the closer.
BE AWARE (5-1, William Hill) is another big player in one of the handicaps and Dan Skelton’s six-year-old has a leading chance upped in trip for the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Wednesday, 2.40). He was a staying-on second in the Greatwood and third at Ascot. The former run was a promising effort in a two-mile handicap. The extra half mile ought to play into his strengths and the trainer has won the last two renewals with Langer Dan. Be Aware been mapped out for this race for some time.
JUNGLE BOOGIE (14-1, Sky Bet) has the ability to trouble Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase (Thursday, 3.20). Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the 11-year-old is very talented on his day but can be fragile and that’s why he’s only had seven runs in his career. However, he’s won five of them and the latest was a Grade Two success at Ascot when winning easily despite jumping out to his right.
Lossiemouth wins the Hatton’s Grace at the start of the season but things have gone awry since
He was sixth in last year’s Gold Cup when he jumped nicely and travelled sweetly until failing to stay the last quarter of a mile. The pace in this race set by Il Est Francais over this intermediate trip should suit Jungle Boogie just as much as Fact To File. He’s unexposed for 11-year-old and goes well fresh for a trainer who lines up his horses for Cheltenham as well as anybody. He represents one of the best each-way value options in Grade One contests this week and has got the ability to win, too.
ANGELS DAWN (4-1, William Hill) won the Kim Muir two years ago and if in that same form again then she can win the Hunters Chase (Friday, 4.40) for the Curling team. The mare receives weight from her rivals and was rated 142 before reverting to this sphere.
Her two point to point victories this season suggests that she is still capable of running to that mark and she does then it is be very hard to see her beaten at Hunters Chase level. She was in the process of running well before falling in last year’s Kim Muir and won that race off 131 two years ago.
She rates as the best bet of the week, with It’s On The Line looking increasingly sour and a general lack of depth in the British challenge. Willitgoahead and Rocky’s Howa are the only two dangers to note and playing the tricast and forecasts involving the three could be a fun option at the end of what’s hopefully a terrific week of racing.
