Boodles Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

THERE was a rollicking and happy homecoming for Cheltenham champion Lossiemouth on the penultimate day of the Punchestown Festival, signing off her season with a clearcut victory in the Boodles Champion Hurdle.

With her old sparring partner Brighterdaysahead on a well-deserved break, the day-four feature proved a golden opportunity for Susannah Ricci’s popular mare to win her 11th Grade 1 under Paul Townend. She was returning to the scene of where her season began back in November with victory in the Morgiana Hurdle.

On official ratings, she had 7lb to spare over her nearest rivals, and the now triple Punchestown Festival winner also had the 7lb mares’ allowance to help her cause - not that it was needed whatsoever.

It was actually the only other mare in the line-up who got closest to her, as Golden Ace ran with huge credit in second.

In the end, Lossiemouth proved five lengths too good for last year’s Champion Hurdle heroine, providing Willie Mullins with a record extending 12th win in the race and a fourth straight victory after a hat-trick for the currently-sidelined State Man last year.

At odds of 2/7, Lossiemouth also became the shortest-priced favourite of the week at Punchestown and followed in the hoofprints of mares such as Vroum Vroum Mag and Honeysuckle to have triumphed in this €300,000 prize.

“We’ll go a long to find one like her again, won’t we? said Townend, after his fifth win in the race - bringing him one victory shy of Ruby Walsh’s record.

“She’s simple now as well. You can line her up at the start and put her wherever you want.”

For a brief moment after halfway, it was difficult to tell just how strongly Townend’s star mare was travelling, but she soon took a strong grip down between the five and four furlong markers and could have been called the winner from some way out.

The all-conquering rider even had the opportunity to take a noticable glance between his legs at the top of the straight before settling the issue on the run to the last.

“She locked on leaving the back-straight,” Townend said. “You trust her and she has so much ability. She was dynamite again today and it was a case of ‘away down the straight’.”

“It’s a dream season,” added Rich Ricci. “We’ve had some lovely horses in the past but this mare really is something special. Hopefully she can do it again next season.Fair play to the second. Golden Ace is a cracking mare and ran great.”