The earth tilted, then restored its rightful balance: what we learned Tuesday at Prestbury Park
Paul Townend with partner Sophie Ryan after Lossiemouth won the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. Pic: Healy Racing
Lossiemouth is beginning to move into ‘Cheltenham statue’ territory. The brilliant grey mare who remarkably is still only seven years old despite seemingly been around forever, won for the fourth year in a row at the festival when powering home to win a fast run Champion Hurdle without any undue complications.
Trainer, Willie Mullins had prevaricated all winter over the best option for her at this year’s festival, the other option being an attempt for a ‘threepeat’ in the Mares hurdle.
The Closutton handler was thankful afterwards that he had run her in cheekpieces for the first time yesterday, remarking" “It made her concentrate that bit more and, you know, as horses get older they probably, like the rest of us, we start looking for ways out of doing hard work and this really invigorated her.”
Lossiemouth had been beaten by Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out at Leopardstown, but readily turned the tables, gaining revenge by six-lengths on more suitable ground. She became the sixth mare since Annie Power in 2016 to win the Champion Hurdle and with luck, good health, and a wind at her back she looks very capable of making it eight in twelve this time next year.
Something strange occurred just before 1.30 Tuesday. The heavily supported favourite, Old Park Star, who had run in snatches all through the first race, the Supreme Novice, arrived on the outside before the last and stayed on up the hill to take the opening contest by a length and a half. The second and third home, Sober Glory and Mydaddypaddy were separated by a nose and it was six lengths back to Baron Noir in fourth. Not one Irish novice in the first four in a race we have won four the last four times in a row. The best of the Irish was El Cairos, never a danger in fifth. Worrying times?
It set off a raucous roar of delight in the packed stands, which was even more impressive as there were few Irish voices joining in. It had been rumoured all through the winter that this year the Brits were back and back in a big way and about to avenge years of Prestbury Cup humiliation. After the first a horrible thought descended over the Irish travelling battalions - those rumours may be true. Then, just after 2.20pm the much-touted Lulumba tried his best in the Arkle, but failed to catch the game mare, Kargese and Kopek Des Bordes, both Willie Mullins inmates who eat their oats in Carlow. The universe was back in balance.
In fairness to Lulumba he was an impressive loser, despite having made a bad mistake at the second last before staying on well in the closing stages to finish about five lengths behind the winner. It is probable that two miles is too short for him and that his future is as a staying chaser. Although only one horse has done the Arkle-Gold Cup double, Alverton in 1978 and 79, several high-profile subsequent Gold Cup winners have run in the two-mile novice chase, including Kicking King who was second to Well Chief in the 2004 Arkle before winning the Gold Cup a year later.
War of Attrition was unplaced in 2005 and won in 2006 respectively, so precedent has been established. Interestingly, the last two winners of the Arkle, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie share favouritism for Friday’s Gold Cup. Lulumba has shown a lot of grit and determination in all his races to date and the post-race 33/1 ante-post offer for next year’s Gold Cup might prove in time to be generous.
