IRELAND’S final Grade 1 of 2025 certainly whetted the appetite for what’s to come in the new year, as the metronomically consistent Lossiemouth notched her ninth Grade 1 win in the December Hurdle - though runner-up Brighterdaysahead fired a definite warning shot of her own with a view to future rematches in the spring.

Two elite hurdling mares came to the fore in the two-mile feature on day four of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, and there was only a length to separate the pair on their first career clash. Lossiemouth made the most of her race fitness and sharpness to edge the verdict for Paul Townend, Willie Mullins and Susannah Ricci, though Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud would have come away with reasons for encouragement with their star mare, given her preparation hadn’t been seamless.

The race was blown apart to an extent when Anzadam bolted clear of the field under Patrick Mullins at the fifth hurdle, with that rival racing with major exuberance and not getting home as a result in fourth. Lossiemouth got a decisive first move on Brighterdaysahead and wasn’t for passing, with her stamina proven over further than this trip, and the pair drew five and a half lengths clear of a staying-on Casheldale Lad, who again emerged from a Grade 1 assignment with plenty of credit.

Lossiemouth, winning as 4/6 favourite here, was generally left unchanged at between 3/1 and 7/2 for the Champion Hurdle and is a 5/2 shot for the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Brighterdaysahead (5/2) was trimmed to between 12/1 and 16/1 for the Champion (from 25/1), and as short as 7/2 (from 6/1) for the Mares’ Hurdle, for which stablemate Wodhooh tops the ante-post standings at 7/4 after her win earlier on Monday’s card.

“Paul had to go with Anzadam but he didn’t know how much energy that horse had used up,” said Mullins.

“What could he do, he had to do that? She stays two and a half miles so he wasn’t going to be doing too much wrong going with him.

“Anzadam couldn’t get cover and was jumping so well he took Patrick to the front. I’m wondering should we be making the running with him in future. He has a fair engine and if we can control him, he’s probably a Grade 1 horse.”

When the Champion Hurdle odds of Lossiemouth were put to Mullins, he replied: “I’m not commenting at all after the last couple of years, nominating a race for her. It’s going to be a good race and Sir Gino looks a fair sort based on what he did at Kempton the other day; he’ll be hard to beat. I’m sure both mares will be back here for the Dublin Racing Festival. There aren’t too many competitions for those types of horses.”

Asked if Lossiemouth feels like a Champion Hurdle mare, Townend said: “The way the race is cutting up now, you'd be a brave man to say she isn’t. She’s winning Grade 1s at two miles and is entitled to be in it. [Sir Gino] was good at Christmas too, wasn’t he?”

On what this victory meant after a quieter-than-usual week on the Grade 1 front at Leopardstown, Townend added: “This does feel sweet - Kempton feels like a long time ago now. It’s a reality check for us too. We do get complacent a bit and this game will level you quick enough. This mare turns up every day, even when I didn’t the day she ran in a juvenile hurdle here and went into the back of horses, she still nearly got me out of a hole then.”

Kennedy will be looking forward to the next chapter in this rivalry between two standout mares.

“I’m delighted with her, it was a brilliant run,” he said of Brighterdaysahead. “You could have argued that with another 100 yards she might have got there, but who knows. Our one had a blow and will come on plenty for it. I’m delighted.”

Elliott added: “It was a great run. Everyone knows she missed time and Paul probably just got first run on us at the right time, it’s sharp enough around there. We’ll go to the DRF now. Casheldale Lad ran a blinder in third too.”