Lossiemouth (grey) with Paul Townend up© Photo Healy Racing
Lossiemouth cemented her place at the head of ante-post lists for the Triumph Hurdle with a commanding display at Leopardstown.
The French recruit was the apparent second string for Willie Mullins on her Irish debut at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, but comfortably accounted for stablemate Zarak The Brave at Grade Three level.
She was the 4-5 favourite to follow up in the Grade Two Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle and having travelled well throughout under Paul Townend, she had the race sewn up turning for home. Gala Marceau making her first start for Mullins after two wins in France, gave chase in the straight, but Lossiemouth was ultimately far too strong and had seven and a half lengths in hand at the line.
Betfair cut the winner to 6-4 from 11-4 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with Coral offering slightly bigger odds at 7-4.
Mullins said: “She did that nicely and jumped well. She was hard on herself and was still able to win well enough.
“I’m very pleased with her and with Gala Marceau who ran on to be second. Lossiemouth looks like she could be the real deal and deserves her favouritism for the Triumph.
“I haven’t asked her to do too much since (Fairyhouse) and we said we’d come here and see how things go.
“The Dublin Racing Festival would seem the obvious target now.”
Townend added: “She’s definitely going the right way — she backed up her run the last day.
“It was not a straightforward race today and it looked that way going out — in a truly-run race you’d see the true mare I think.
“She had to get down and dirty and grind it out and she had no bother doing that.”
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Cougar (JPN), trained by Padraig Roche, at the request of the Raceday Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.
At the request of the Raceday Stewards, M.P. Walsh, rider of Cougar (JPN), trained by Padraig Roche, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount ran too free in the early stages of the race.
