Which Race Will Lossiemouth Run In At Cheltenham?

As the 2025 Cheltenham Festival approaches, fans are still wondering which race Lossiemouth will run in. 

An impressive winner of the Mares Hurdle last year, she was believed to be targeted at the same race again this year.

However, she has spent the season taking on the boys and could do so again at Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle.

Here we look at the striking grey mare's career to date, as well as the latest odds being offered on betting sites for both races.

Destined For Big Things From A Young Age

Lossiemouth started her career in France, where she won on her racecourse debut at Auteuil by 10 lengths. She was soon snapped up by Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci. 

In the 2022/23 season, she took the Juvenile Hurdle scene by storm, winning four races, including a Grade One at Punchestown and a victory in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Sent off the 8/13 favourite for the Mares Hurdle last year, she arrived on the back of just one run but made no mistake in landing the spoils to provide Mullins with his 10th Mares Hurdle victory.

Season Has Not Gone To Plan

Lossiemouth started the season with a breathtaking win in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, where she easily beat the high-class Teahupoo by over three lengths.

That victory saw her price for the Champion Hurdle plummet, and she was backed into odds as low as 6/4 on betting apps. 

She has since drifted out drastically as her season has not gone to plan.

The Great Pretender mare was no match for Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

She never jumped or travelled fluently, and she looked like a different horse from the one we saw on her seasonal bow.

Her festival preparations took another dent in the Irish Champion Hurdle, where despite Paul Townend choosing to ride State Man, Lossiemouth was still sent off the 8/11 favourite.

The pair went clear of the field, and Lossiemouth had a slender lead four out. 

However, she took a heavy fall, which handed the race to State Man.

Lossiemouth Camp Edging Towards Champion Hurdle

The horse racing betting sites offering non-runner no-bet have Lossiemouth priced at 5/1 for the Champion Hurdle, while she is as short as 5/2 for the Mares Hurdle.

Despite this, her trainer seems to be leaning towards her taking on Constitution Hill in the former.

Mullins has said that the Champion Hurdle has been the target all year, but as we have seen in the past, he can change his mind very quickly. 

"Our plan has always been to go for the Champion Hurdle,” Mullins said, "and unless they have a change of heart, I’m happy that she could still go for a Champion Hurdle, but Rich [Ricci, Lossiemouth’s owner] might feel different."

Conclusion 

The Mullins camp likes to leave it late when deciding on festival targets, and the decision about Lossiemouth will no doubt be left until the last minute.

Townend will have a significant bearing on the decision. He opted to ride State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle, and after his victory there, he will likely choose to ride him again in this year‘s Cheltenham equivalent.

This would mean Danny Mullins would ride Lossiemouth, or Townend could get his way and ride both horses in different races.

It’s always difficult to second guess the plans of the maestro Mullins.

My guess is that if Brighterdaysahead runs in the Champion Hurdle, Lossiemouth will switch to the Mares Hurdle, where she will be a very short price to give Willie Mullins his 11th win in the race.