Lossiemouth challenge comes up short as Brighterdaysahead takes Champion Hurdle spoils

Jack Kennedy after winning The Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) with Brighterdaysahead. Pic: Morgan Treacy

Leopardstown Same venue, same horses, different result.

The Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle was billed as a rematch between Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead with the market suggesting the Willie Mullins-trained grey would confirm Christmas form with the Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old.

Just a length separated the pair that day and while Brighterdaysahead was expected to improve for her first run in 240 days, Lossiemouth was sent off the 4-6 favourite for round two.

However, Brighterdaysahead was always going the better of the pair and when she took up the running from El Fabiolo, it was clear Lossiemouth had a mountain to climb.

To her credit, she made a valiant attempt to reel in the leader, closing the gap on the turn for home but Brighterdaysahead responded to the challenge in the testing conditions and crossed the line three and a quarter lengths to the good in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

“We knew she had improved from the last day, whether she was good enough to beat Lossiemouth we weren’t sure,” Elliott said.

“I was happy the whole way but I thought going to the second last: ‘Here comes Lossiemouth now, we’re in trouble.’ 

“It’s great to be involved in these races and to win them is extra special. I was so nervous coming to the last, just thinking: ‘I hope she jumps it.’ 

“Lossiemouth is a superstar and our one is a superstar as well. We’re lucky to have her.”

All roads will now lead to Cheltenham with Elliott confirming Brighterdaysahead will seek Champion Hurdle redemption after disappointing in the day one feature at last year’s Festival.

“She’s been to Cheltenham twice and hasn’t won which isn’t ideal but we’re going for the Champion Hurdle,” Elliott said. “We had a little issue last year after Punchestown and we rectified it and I think it might have been niggling her at Cheltenham but she’s in good form now so we’ll look forward to it.” 

Having lost here, one would suspect Lossiemouth is now more likely to go in search of a Mares’ Hurdle hat-trick than run in the Champion Hurdle but her jockey was never happy with his partner on Sunday.

“I was never comfortable on her,” Paul Townend said. “It surprised me that I actually got in with a chance at any stage. Everything was hard work today.” Elliott and Kennedy completed a 40-1 double when 10-1 shot Bowensonfire foiled a gamble in the Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle.

I started A Joke was sent off the 7-4 favourite for Charles Byrnes but Bowensonfire found more on the run for home to land the spoils. The County Hurdle will be his next mission.

The Grade One Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle produced the finish of the day as Talked The Talk got up on the line to deny Ballyfad.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained five-year-old was sent off the 3-1 favourite to make amends for a final flight stumble at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting but looked an unlikely winner for much of the contest as market rivals King Rasko Grey and Ballyfad traded blows up front.

After the last, Ballyfad got the better of that battle and looked certain to score for Gordon Elliott but Talked The Talk was now powering home in the hands of JJ Slevin and he got there in the shadow of the post to claim a dramatic victory.

O’Brien explained: “We were always going to ride him pretty cold today and I said to JJ that we might get beaten because of that but we were thinking of the horse’s long-term career.

“I thought at half-way that there was no chance of him making up any ground because they hacked around. The eventual second and third sat first and second the whole way while we came from third or fourth last so it’s just a testament to the horse’s ability (that he got up to win).

“JJ made a key move to go from in to out to get a clear, smooth passage home and, ultimately, that was the winning of the race for him.” 

O’Brien admitted the Christmas mishap was frustrating but said lessons were learned and defended the horse’s jumping technique.

“His jumping was good today, he’s learned from every race. The last day was frustrating but you always learn more from those experiences than when you win. We learned plenty and he did as well.

“You’d always have it in the back of your mind that he over-jumped a month ago so we obviously took steps to try and help him. A few people mentioned that he wasn’t a great jumper but he’s actually a very good jumper, he just made a few silly mistakes.” 

Elsewhere on the card, the Emmet Mullins-trained Backmersackme (14-1) came out on top in the Grade Three O’Driscoll's Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase while the Martin Hassett-trained Moonverrin (20-1) was a somewhat fortuitous winner of the bumper.

Royal Hillsborough looked destined to land the spoils but was eased down before the finish line after jockey Stephen Connor appeared to mistake the 50-yard marker for the winning post.

That error allowed Moonverrin to rally and he got up to win in the hands of Finny Maguire.