7 Tips for Cheltenham: No. 1 Lossiemouth

Trainer Willie Mullins will be front and centre at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival as he saddles around half of this year’s favourites.

His gallant grey mare and last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Lossiemouth, is odds-on to secure one of those victories in the Mares’ Hurdle on Tuesday. Mullins has also entered his star mare in the Champion Hurdle and after Constitution Hill was ruled out on Monday, he stated 'a conversation will be had' on whether connections reconsider her target.

Trainer: Willie Mullins

Jockey: Paul Townend

Owner: Mrs S Ricci

Race record: 1112111

The five-year-old is chasing her seventh career win, her second Cheltenham Festival victory and third win at Prestbury Park.

Willie Mullins is a nine-time winner of the Mares' Hurdle, having won it an impressive six times with wonder mare Quevega. His dominance in this race hasn’t been quite as strong in recent years. His last winner of the race was Benie Des Dieux in 2018, with the likes of Concertista and Limini beaten at short prices.

Lossiemouth looks set to change that trend and adding her to your Cheltenham multiples should provide you with a winning leg. You can also get yourself €40 in free bets plus a €10 Casino Bonus with Unibet.

Her trainer has campaigned her very deliberately for the Festival, as she comes here off the back of only one run this season, when she annihilated her rivals in the Unibet Hurdle on Cheltenham Trials day in January. Love Envoi, who finished a close second to Honeysuckle in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle, trailed by 9.5 lengths in behind.

Jockey Paul Townend said after that win: “It was a pleasure to ride and very straightforward, she was very slick and accurate.

“She will be competitive wherever she goes (at Cheltenham) and she’s high-class. She’s physically and mentally matured (from last season) and she was a fair sort as a juvenile too, so she didn’t have to improve and awful lot."

Last season, a breathtaking Triumph Hurdle victory at the Cheltenham Festival was followed up by a win at Punchestown just over a month later.

Her perfect race record is blotted only by a second at Leopardstown when beaten by stablemate Gala Marceau in February 2023, however she hit trouble in running that day and landed on the hind legs of a rival at the third hurdle.

A tough, straightforward mare with a solid constitution, Mullins has attributed these traits to her success - her soundness and the fact she remains sound is one of her key strengths. Fragility and injury can puncture a horse’s career, particularly aged four to five.

Is there a chink in the armour? If Lossiemouth runs in the Mares' Hurdle, the only unknown is the trip as she steps up from two miles and one furlong last time to two and a half miles, although the old course at Cheltenham should really play to her strengths.

Her main danger is stablemate and smart mare Ashroe Diamond who boasts some excellent form and readily beat Under Control and Gala Marceau last time in Doncaster. If the ground comes up soft Love Envoi enjoys Cheltenham and could run well in behind.