LOSSIEMOUTH is now clear favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle after brushing Teahupoo aside with the minimum of fuss to capture Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle - a performance that demonstrated real star quality.

Many of Willie Mullins’ winter warriors have been shaping as though they are needing their first runs of the season, but no such concerns came to the table with Susannah Ricci’s brilliant mare, who came to Fairyhouse on the back of a blemish-free campaign in 2023/’24.

Sir Gino put down a serious Champion Hurdle marker a day earlier at Newcastle when bolting up in the Fighting Fifth by eight lengths. Brighterdaysahead also announced herself as a legitimate contender when landing the Morgiana Hurdle a week before that, even if connections have one eye on the Mares’ Hurdle.

This performance was arguably the most impressive of any we’ve seen so far this season in the senior hurdling division, though. Despite never really looking like dropping the bridle and making a mistake at the fourth last to leave her at the back of the four-runner field, she zoomed upsides Teahupoo between the final two flights and always looked like she would collect.

The 4/7 favourite struck by three and three quarters of a length, but it could have been much, much more if Townend had gotten any way serious with her. Her Champion odds now range from 6/4 to 2/1, having started the day as a top-priced 5/2 chance.

Speaking after winning his fourth Hatton’s Grace success, Mullins said: “It was very impressive. They went very steady, which I think suited us - she has that bit of speed. She has a nice flat pedigree and when they went steady, bar a fall or something like that - she did make a bad mistake at the fourth last - I felt she would win a speed race. Her dam is a half-sister to Lord Glitters, who was a good miler a few years ago for David O’Meara.”

There are no plans to have State Man clash with his high-flying stablemate in advance of the Champion Hurdle, according to Britain and Ireland’s champion trainer.

Bar One Racing make Lossiemouth the 2/1 Cheltenham favourite, followed in the market by State Man at 7/2, Sir Gino and Constitution Hill at 4/1 apiece, while Brighterdaysahead (8/1) is the only other runner at a single-figure price.

The master of Closutton was also extremely taken by Saturday’s Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle winner, Anzadam, when bolting up by six and a half lengths at Fairyhouse.

“There’s no point in us knocking our heads against one another - we can do that later on in the season - and we'll find out more about what's in England,” Mullins said about the prospect of State Man and Lossiemouth meeting at Christmas.

“Anzadam looks something special. I couldn’t get him out last season but his form in France was good. I didn’t know what was going to happen yesterday so I was very pleasantly surprised. It was an awesome performance. He’s a four-year-old who I think will have to take on Grade 1 horses now, which is going to be difficult to find where we’ll produce him next.

“State Man will probably go to Leopardstown at Christmas. Lossiemouth won the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last season. I need to look at the conditions of the race, but with that race being a Grade 2, that mightn’t suit us so we’ll have to have a think.

“I was thinking the Kempton option [Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle] might be there too [for Lossiemouth], so they’re all there to play for. Maybe Kempton is the one and we could let Anzadam go to the International.”