Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

(Grade 1)

WILLIE Mullins and Paul Townend completed a hat-trick of Grade 1 wins on day one thanks to a dazzling Mares’ Hurdle display from Lossiemouth, who confirmed herself to be a major 2025 Champion Hurdle player with a supremely smooth success.

Susannah Ricci’s ready Triumph Hurdle winner of 12 months ago was simply unstoppable in an Irish takeover of the final top-level event on Tuesday, scoring by three lengths from Telmesomethinggirl, who led home two other Henry de Bromhead-trained runners, Hispanic Moon and Lantry Lady, for an Irish one-two-three-four.

A banker of the week for many, Townend was utterly cool on the 8/13 favourite and won with plenty to spare.

Mullins said: “She is a Champion Hurdle mare, I think. Once again, Paul was just so cool on her. She can improve, she can go on, a year older, running like that in that ground, the way she jumps, she’s got everything.

“We made the right decision [on not going to the Champion Hurdle], end of story, because she didn’t get a grueller there. She won as comfortable as she liked, she’s only five, and getting a grueller in the Champion Hurdle as a five-year-old mare isn’t what you should do with them.

Push-button

Townend added: “She’s brilliant. It’s well documented, the route she’s come. They’ve given her time, been patient with her and they are getting paid for that now. She was very good here last year. I suppose with the rain coming, there was a question mark about her stamina, but I never really doubted it. I knew I had to settle her early and she was actually very settled down the middle of the track the first loop… it was push-button stuff.”

Henry de Bromhead was understandably thrilled with his trio of representatives.

“It was incredible,” he said. “They all ran really well and I’m delighted with them. They are owned by big breeders and it’s brilliant to get them Grade 1 blacktype. It was brilliant to see the way that Telmesomethinggirl travelled into the straight, but obviously the winner is very good and all credit to her as she was brilliant. She’ll probably be covered now this year.

“It was a brilliant run from Hispanic Moon. She was bought as a broodmare but they wanted to race and she’s won good blacktype. Lantry Lady is the one for the future, definitely.”

One of the big disappointments of the race was Ashroe Diamond, and rider Patrick Mullins said she ran too free and flat.