It’s that time of year again, when punters try to work out which race their fancied horses will be running in at the Cheltenham Festival. Last year, Lossiemouth was the subject of much talk, and it looks like this year, she will be the subject of it all again.
Will she run in the Champion Hurdle and test herself against the best over two miles? Or will she return to try and land a hat trick of wins in the Mares’ Hurdle, just like connections chose last year?
Over the last few days, we’ve seen two betting moves that suggest the odds makers think they know where she is heading.
Lossiemouth Drifting Out in Champion Hurdle Betting
Lossiemouth was pushed out as big as 6/1 for the Champion Hurdle over the past few days by a number of different firms.
It was confirmed by a few of them, including Paddy Power, that the reasoning behind the move was because of Sir Gino’s excellent win at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle, not because of any significant support for Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle.
After seeing Sir Gino confirm his standing as a top hurdler over two miles, the Irish company said they felt it would make Team Mullins and Ricci more likely to go for the Mares’ Hurdle and avoid taking on Sir Gino with their runner.
At the end of the month, Cheltenham Trials Day sees a Champion Hurdle trial in which both Sir Gino and The New Lion are set to run, which could give more clues to the Lossiemouth camp and help them decide where to go.
6/1 you say….
— Joe Chambers (@ScobieCjnr) January 8, 2026
Joe Chambers, racing manager to Rich Ricci, did leave us with a cryptic tweet and no further explanation, just to tease us a little more. Don’t you just love the countdown to Cheltenham!
Joint Favourite for Hat Trick of Mares’ Hurdle Wins
Winner of the last two Mares’ Hurdle contests in 2024 and 2025, should Lossiemouth return to that race, she would be bidding to land the hat trick. While it’s a smaller race than the Champion Hurdle, there is some added interest here, with the hat-trick bid.
Her drift in the Champion Hurdle market has been matched by a shortening in the Mares’ Hurdle market, which should come as no surprise.
These are her only two Cheltenham options, so if she is less likely to run in one, then in the eyes of the oddsmakers, that makes her more likely to run in the other.
Previously 5/2-second favourite behind Wodhooh for the Mares’ Hurdle, the pair are now vying for favouritism with all firms, with minor differences between them. Some have them as 7/4 joint favourites, others have Wodhooh still very slightly ahead, but they’re either 7/4 and 15/8, or 15/8 and 2/1 in the market; there’s nothing to choose between them.
I don’t think we’ll get a definitive answer to where Lossiemouth runs for a few weeks yet, options will be kept open, certainly until after Trials Day at Cheltenham, and the Dublin Racing Festival over in Ireland.
Regardless of the race she ends up in, I think she’ll be a major player, but my gut tells me she’s going to the Mares, and she’ll end up not only winning it this year, but in further years too. I think she is that good, even if you tell me it’s a weak race for the festival.
She’s still only seven, who’s to say she won’t go and emulate the great Quevega, who won the race six times for Willie Mullins?