Constitution Hill may be a defector, but plans remain unaltered for some of Ireland’s leading players in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, with the Brighterdaysahead camp dreaming of making it third-time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival.

Gordon Elliott’s star mare has only tasted defeat four times in her career, but two of those occasions have come at National Hunt’s showpiece occasion.

She was a beaten favourite behind Golden Ace in novice company in 2024 and then well held by Jeremy Scott’s reigning champion hurdler when underwhelming in a remarkable running of the blue riband 12 months ago.

However, connections are hopeful the Irish Champion Hurdle heroine can correct the record this time, sitting second in the reformed betting behind Dan Skelton’s The New Lion following the news Constitution Hill will embark on a Flat career.

Eddie O’Leary of owners Gigginstown House Stud said: “We were going to the Champion Hurdle regardless whether Constitution Hill was there or not and there will still be plenty of others to beat.

“She wasn’t right last year and hopefully she will put up a better show this year. It’s well documented the first year she went there it was a bit of a muddling race, then last year she wasn’t right.

Not good enough?

“Maybe she’s not good enough at Cheltenham, but we will see. She was very good last time and on a good day she is extremely good and we just hope her best is good enough.”

Elliott, of course, has yet to win a Champion Hurdle but the same cannot be said for his great rival in Ireland, Willie Mullins, who landed the most recent of his five with State Man in 2024 and could have had another if not for the defending champion’s final-flight exit last year.

It is still to be decided if Lossiemouth will head to the two-mile hurdling championship or seek a third-straight Mares’ Hurdle success following her reversal at the hands of Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown.

But Closutton will still field strong representation in the race and it is last year’s shock Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros who could end up the Mullins first string following his comeback third behind the two aforementioned mares at the Dublin Racing Festival.

“If Lossiemouth goes to the mares’ race then it just leaves Poniros and Anzadam for Willie Mullins and we were ahead of him at Leopardstown on our first run back while he had two runs under his belt,” explained Sean Graham, racing manager for Poniros’ owner Tony Bloom.

“We know the New course really suited Poniros with his stamina when he won the Triumph Hurdle last year and this time we’ll be on the Old course for the Champion Hurdle. Stamina could come less into play, but then they could go hard as it is a championship race.

Improvement

“He probably has to find 10 or 12lb from his Leopardstown run to get involved and I definitely think there is 7lb improvement, whether there is the improvement there needed to win it could prove a different matter.

“It is a race you can really pick holes in any horse in the race and it wouldn’t be out of the question if Lulamba (second in the Triumph) was to go and win the Arkle by 10 lengths and with his head in his chest Poniros’ price would shorten again.

“Don’t forget Poniros has that smart juvenile form in the book and we know he’s a good horse.”