Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle (Grade 1)

LOSSIEMOUTH confirmed her standing as the clear champion juvenile hurdler of 2022/23 season by following up her Triumph Hurdle success with a Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle strike for Willie Mullins, Paul Townend and Susannah Ricci.

Leading home a 1-2-3 for the champion trainer, the high-class daughter of Great Pretender became Mullins and Townend’s ninth top-level winner of the week at odds of 1/2.

Superior pace was again what made the difference for Lossiemouth, who was always in command in a length-and-a-half success over Zarak The Brave and old foe Gala Marceau.

“We were lucky to get her in France from Yannick Fouin and he was full of her when he had her,” said Mullins.

“You think you are buying nice horses all the time but this filly looks to be a cut above. For a filly to go through the whole season and come out at every festival - the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, the Dublin Racing Festival when getting hammered there, the Cheltenham Festival and back here today, that’s incredible for a juvenile filly.

“She’ll need a long break now after that to recover. She’s been very good to us.”

Lossiemouth was trimmed to 3/1 favourite (from 4/1) with BoyleSports for next season’s Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, as well as tightening to 12/1 (from 16/1) for the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

On what could lie ahead next term, Mullins added: “I’m looking forward to maybe the Mares’ Hurdle. Normally those juveniles work into staying hurdlers, which would be the Mares’ Hurdle or the Stayers’ Hurdle, but I’m just wondering if she could be a Champion Hurdle filly in two years.

“She has huge reserves and she’s sound as a pound, which is half the battle sometimes.”

No stopping Townend

Townend made his final Grade 1 ride of the season a winning one, bringing up a phenomenal 22nd top-level victory in the 2022/23 campaign.

“She’s just a very good mare, very forward for a juvenile,” said Townend.

“The quality of horses in Closutton at the moment is honestly surreal. Everyone in the weighing room would like to be on their backs and fortunately I’m the one who gets to ride them.

“We have a huge team. Jackie and Willie are obviously top of the tree but from a rider’s point of view, the team of riders in there are best pals who help each other out. We all want to win, but as much as it hurts to see someone else win, we’re happy at the same time once it’s going back to Closutton.”

Zarak The Brave’s rider Daryl Jacob was pleased with the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned second’s return from a 146-day break, having met with a colic issue after chasing Lossiemouth home on his previous start at Fairyhouse in December.

“I’m delighted with him,” said the Wexford native.

“I thought he travelled and jumped well, and got me into a lovely pocket turning in. He’s a lovely horse for the future. I think he’s got a cracking career ahead of him. We’re very happy with him.

“Lossiemouth is the queen, the champion. She mightn’t have been at her best today but she still knows how to win.