Lossiemouth Triumphs Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle

Lossiemouth stormed clear of Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion to be crowned the 2026 Unibet Champion Hurdle queen cementing herself in Cheltenham Festival history.

The star mare, trained by Willie Mullins maintained her unbeaten record at Cheltenham, following her 2023 victory in the JCB triumph hurdle and her back to back wins in the Close Brothers Mare’s Hurdle over the past two years.

Sent off as the 7/5 favourite in Tuesday’s feature race, the grey mare travelled smoothly throughout the race, never looking in serious trouble under jockey Paul Townend, jumping clear over the final hurdle, before powering six and a half lengths clear of the runner up.

The favourite returned to an electric atmosphere in the Cheltenham stands as she claimed victory over Brighterdaysahead, The New Lion and last years winner Golden Ace, who also won recently in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Lossiemouth became only the eighth mare to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle, following the likes of: African Sister (1939), Dawn Run (1984), Flakey Dove (1994), Annie Power (2016), Epatante (2020), Honeysuckle (2021 & 2022) and Golden Ace (2025).

Rich Ricci, husband of owner Susannah Ricci, said: ”It feels unbelievable. Magic. It’s 10 years since Annie Power won – it’s hard to win these races, and she always tries. All credit goes to Willie.”

”She has that mare’s pedigree which gives her that bit of speed and the cheekpieces, I think, just made a huge difference,” said Mullins.

“It made her concentrate that bit more and 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.”

“To win the Champion Hurdle definitely outranks everything else she’s done. But to come back here four years in a row is an achievement in itself but then to win four years is, she’s gone Triumph, Mares’ twice and then this, and it’s been superb.”

Jockey Townend added: “It’s easy when they have as much ability as she does. She turns up and she does her business.”

Having also had two victories in the Mares’ Hurdle and the 2023 Triumph Hurdle, Lossiemouth is now a four-time winner at the Cheltenham Festival.