Lossiemouth setting out on path intended to arrive at Cheltenham for Champion Hurdle

Willie Mullins is banking on a good run from Lossiemouth in Sunday’s Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle laying the platform for a successful campaign that could include Champion Hurdle glory.

The five-year-old took on all-comers as a juvenile when claiming Triumph Hurdle joy, but connections were content to clean up in the mares’ division for last season’s festival double at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

This time around, there is no suggestion of avoiding the top boys and settling for any sort of consolation prize.

A stone bruise kept her from running in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown against Brighterdaysahead and State Man, but Mullins said: “Lossiemouth starts off this weekend and then the International Hurdle at Cheltenham (January 25) might be a good option for her, rather than going to Leopardstown at Christmas, then on to Cheltenham (for the Festival).

“Everyone wants to have competition, all these horses taking each other on every week, but you’ve got to have a final – and to me, you should have quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.

“Cheltenham and Punchestown are the two races we normally go, or Aintree, but if you’re taking each other on too much early in the season, there’s no sense of looking forward to those races.”

When asked if starting out over two and a half miles this weekend meant the Mares’ Hurdle was again under consideration, the Closutton maestro insisted: “Not unless she disappoints – this was the plan for the last two years, to go for the Champion Hurdle with her this year.

“I’m very happy with her, I think she’s ready. I think she has no problem with two miles but has absolutely no problem with two and a half either, and if you’re going to win a Champion Hurdle, you need a horse that stays two and a half, I think.

“The pace of the Champion Hurdle, the way it’s run, you don’t want any doubts about stamina going into that, because you will be found out.”

As season-opening tests go, this will certainly be a stiff one, with Teahupoo looking to join Limestone Lad, Solerina, Apple’s Jade and Honeysuckle in securing a third Hatton’s Grace success.

Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old went on to dominate the staying division with convincing victories at Cheltenham and Punchestown last term.

“It looks a very good race. I suppose Lossiemouth is going to be very hard to beat getting 7lb off us over two and a half miles, but we’ll do our best and our horse is in good form,” said Elliott, who will be without the services of stable jockey Jack Kennedy after he suffered a broken leg in a fall on Saturday.

“It’s good to see good horses taking each other on. We’ll do our best, but I think Lossiemouth is going to be very hard to beat.”

Elliott also saddles outsiders Beacon Edge and Maxxum to make up the numbers to four.

The Cullentra House handler is set to saddle four of the six runners in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase, as he seeks to add to his record tally of seven previous victories in this two-and-a-half-mile Grade One event.

Firefox is his most-fancied entry, having started out over fences with a nice win at Down Royal following a series of admirable placed efforts in elite-level novice hurdles last term, while stablemates Croke Park, Stellar Story and Shecouldbeanything are also engaged.

The biggest threat to Firefox is expected to come from the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo of Heart Wood and Gorgeous Tom, who have both shown improved form since tackling bigger obstacles and are more experienced in this sphere than the market leader.

On Gorgeous Tom, De Bromhead said: “He was always going to be a better chaser and he’s a really nice horse who has done little wrong.

“He made a mistake in Tipperary, but he seems to have learnt from that and jumped brilliant in Cork.

“Heart Wood is obviously a very nice horse as well. This is his last opportunity as a novice and we’re hoping for good runs.

“Gorgeous Tom would probably prefer nicer ground and I’d say Heart Wood goes on most grounds.”

The Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle has been another happy hunting ground for Elliott, who has taken four of the last seven renewals and has two strong contenders again this time.

Romeo Coolio was second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and hacked up by 18 lengths at Down Royal on his hurdles bow, while stablemate Bleu De Vassy can boast a wide-margin win at Fairyhouse and a smooth success at Navan ahead of this Grade Two contest.