It's the Mares' for Lossiemouth as Rich Ricci confirms no clash with 'monster' Constitution Hill despite impressive win

It was Willie Mullins who dominated on a day when festival dreams were either banished or boosted, and Lossiemouth certainly enhanced her credentials for March with a mesmerising comeback in the Unibet Hurdle.

Making her first appearance since winning at the Punchestown festival last April, the Triumph Hurdle heroine waltzed away from a selection of Britain’s top hurdlers to strike by nine and a half lengths under Paul Townend.

It ignited hopes of a seismic meeting with Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle, but owner Rich Ricci was quick to dismiss any clash, confirming the Mares’ Hurdle would remain Lossiemouth's target, and Paddy Power duly slashed her to 10-11 (from 15-8) for that Grade 1.

“She’s a very good filly and we’ve always thought the world of her,” said Ricci. “We’ll go for the Mares', I think. We learned last season [with Vauban] that it’s very hard for the four-year-olds going on five to run in open company. 

“Maybe she’s a Champion Hurdle type, but Constitution Hill is a monster. I’m not running away from it, but she’s a great filly and you want to mind her and see how she goes.

“They’ve been telling me she’d been bombing at home so I was expecting her to run well and she did so happy days.”

As well as completing a treble at Fairyhouse, Mullins was also on the mark with another girl at Doncaster as Ashroe Diamond made her own Mares’ Hurdle statement by winning on Town Moor, while Ireland's champion trainer was rewarded with his other Cheltenham runner as Capodanno landed the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase.

Paul Townend rides Capodanno clear after the last in the Cotswold ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Under a cool Townend ride, JP McManus's eight-year-old swooped into the lead from two out to defeat a back-to-form The Real Whacker and novice Stay Away Fay with a degree of ease.

Capodanno is not entered in the Gold Cup, but he could line up in the Ryanair Chase for which he was halved in price to 10-1 by Betfair.

“It was very straightforward,” said Townend. “It was a small field and I was going to ride my horse to suit him and luckily it worked out. He’d been doing everything very well.”

“He was very close with Gerri Colombe [in the Savills Chase] the other day and I suppose if he was here he would have been very short odds. Given that, he was probably just overlooked a little bit."

Sir Gino impresses

Trials day at Cheltenham is there for a reason and Sir Gino's audition for the JCB Triumph Hurdle could not have gone any better.

Trained by Nicky Henderson for Joe and Marie Donnelly, the juvenile won a Listed hurdle in France before impressing on his British debut at Kempton last month.

That victory still had him second fiddle in the betting behind 6-5 market leader Burdett Road here, but he soon usurped that horse as Triumph favourite as the exciting gelding sprinted away to win the Grade 2 trial by ten lengths.

Sir Gino strolls to victoryCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Paddy Power made Sir Gino, bought by former Henderson jockey Jerry McGrath, their 11-8 favourite for the Triumph, while Betfair went 6-4 (from 9-2).

Henderson has won the festival Grade 1 a record seven times, and said of the winner: "He's very good. He's always told us that, but he learned a lot at Kempton last time. 

"We've all been quite bullish about him but rather reluctant to say too much in case we end up with egg on our face, although he's pretty smart.

"He'd jump a fence so we've got to look after the future as well as the present. That was impressive and he's a very talented individual, there's no doubt about that."

Park pounces

Gidleigh Park enhanced his tall reputation further with victory in the Grade 2 novice hurdle

Prominent in the betting for both the Baring Bingham and Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham in March, the Harry Fry-trained six-year-old is owned by the Eyre family and justified 5-6 favouritism in the finale to see off Lucky Place by half a length.

Gidleigh Park is too good for his rivalsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Fry said: "It was a Grade 2 so he had to step up and the race hasn't been run to suit – it turned into a sprint for home – but he got down and battled and got the job done.

"It's the first time he's had to battle, so he'll have learned again, but we've some questions now in terms of which race we run him in in March.

"He's won and we can't complain about that – it's what it's all about at the end of the day."

Gidleigh Park is now unbeaten in four starts to date, and Fry added: "The dream's still alive and he's done everything right so far. I don't like comparing horses and we'll just let him be Gidleigh Park and he can tell us how good he is."

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Festival movers: dazzling Lossiemouth odds-on for Mares' Hurdle - plus Jeriko Du Reponet drifts and Sir Gino thrashes Burdett Road

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