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The Cheltenham Festival landscape has shifted on its axis this morning as the final declarations for day one confirm that Willie Mullins will indeed unleash Lossiemouth in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
In a week that has already seen the seismic departure of Constitution Hill from the jumps scene to pursue a career on the Flat, and the heartbreaking late withdrawal of dual winner Galopin Des Champs from the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, the confirmation of Lossiemouth’s participation provides the spark of star quality the Tuesday feature desperately needed.
The grey mare, a three-time winner at the Cheltenham Festival, has long been the subject of the ‘will-she-won’t-she’ debate. After skipping the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle to tackle the boys, she now faces her ultimate test. With Paul Townend confirmed to ride, she has been clipped into 9-4 with some firms, breathing down the neck of the current market leader, The New Lion.
The absence of Constitution Hill—who paraded at Southwell recently before his permanent switch to the level—and the reigning champion State Man, has left a vacuum at the top of the two-mile division.
The New Lion, representing the yard of Dan Skelton, holds the position of 2-1 favourite following a flawless preparation. However, he will need to find another gear to repel the Irish challenge, which, even without State Man, remains formidable. Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead (9-2) and the persistent Golden Ace (6-1) ensure that while the race lacks a “monster,” it certainly doesn’t lack intrigue.
While the Champion Hurdle gains a superstar, the Cheltenham Gold Cup has lost its most famous face. Willie Mullins confirmed on Friday evening that Galopin Des Champs will miss the remainder of the season following a setback after a piece of work at Closutton.
The ten-year-old was bidding to join the pantheon of greats like Arkle and Best Mate by reclaiming his crown, but a “not right” report on Friday morning ended those hopes. In his absence, the market has been turned upside down. Gaelic Warrior has been promoted to the head of the betting at 4-1, though stablemate Fact To File remains a looming shadow, with connections mulling over a late supplementation following his Irish Gold Cup heroics.
Away from the championship races, Dan Skelton continues his relentless pursuit of the Champion Trainer title. His decision to run Heltenham in a recent high-profile assignment raised eyebrows, but as we saw with Jonbon at Ascot, these prep runs are often more about the long game than the immediate result. Skelton has mastered the art of “Festival-readying” his string, and with the ground currently described as Good to Soft on the Old Course, his team looks exceptionally well-placed to strike early on Tuesday.
