Willie Mullins says he doesn't think Lossiemouth is in Champion Hurdle winning form, and that's why the decision was made to race her in the less competitive and less prestigious mares' hurdle instead.
Mullins said the original plan was to run Lossiemouth in the big race on the opening day up until an underwhelming recent piece of work, where stable-mate State Man showed up much better.
Lossiemouth is a two-time festival winner having first won the Triumph Hurdle in '23 before backing it up with Mares' glory last year, defeating Tellmesomethinggirl by three lengths.
It was hoped and predicted that the grey mare would take on Constitution Hill, State Man and Brighterdaysahead, making this year's Champion Hurdle an irresistible showdown and the race of the festival.
2 February 2025; Lossiemouth leads eventual winner State Man during the The Irish Champion Hurdle during day two of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Loissemouth showed fine form in December, defeating last year's stayers champion Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace hurdle in Fairyhouse before losing out to Constitution Hill by two and a half lengths in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle in Kempton.
She fell at the Dublin Racing Festival in February when she was the odds-on favourite to overcome State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle and the six-year-old will now swerve the champion, in a bid to retain her mares' hurdle instead.
Mullins and owner Rich Ricci have been criticised for the decision by some horse-racing followers, accusing them of side-stepping the big challenge, 'taking the easy option.'
The trainer explained the decision in an interview with Racing TV's Nick Luck this morning.
"She's good enough. She worked nice last week, but I was happy enough that State Man worked better than her and Paul wasn't going to ride her in the champion hurdle, so that made things...well the obvious thing to do I think."
🗣️"My duty is to get winners for owners."@WillieMullinsNH offers @nickluck his reasons behind running Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle ...#RoadToCheltenham | @paddypower pic.twitter.com/gQ11lvkbmx
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 10, 2025
"It's been our plan for two years to run her in the Champion Hurdle but after her work the other day, we felt she'd be just a runner.
"So it's disappointing. I'm thinking where will she get to meet those horses, maybe at Aintree or something like that. She'll get to meet them at some stage.
"But coming here this week, my duty is to get winners for owners," he stressed.
"And her best chance of a winner, we think, is in the mares' hurdle rather than the champion hurdle."
Racing Post pundit Johnny Dineen said 'I hope she doesn't win the Mares' hurdle' on the back of the decision made by the Mullins camp.
"It's against the sportsmanship of the game, taking the easy option. I hope she doesn't win the Mares' Hurdle"@JohnnyDineen is disappointed to see Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle instead of the Champion Hurdle
Upping The Ante with @bet365🐎
18+ #GambleAware pic.twitter.com/DQKPSa4CLd
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) March 9, 2025
"She's good enough to run in the champion hurdle. This notion of 'we trained her for the champion hurdle, I think that's a load of Macaroni...It's pathetic," he said.
