Unibet Morgiana Hurdle
Grade 1, Punchestown 14:10
 €150,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus, 2m 160y,
Class 1    
Saturday 22nd November 2025

1 Lossiemouth 1/5F
2 Glen Kiln 28/1
3 Ndaawi 18/1
4 ran Distances: 19l, 13l, 2¾l
Time: 4m 12.60s (slow by 12.30s)

Lossiemouth took her opening stride toward a long-awaited Champion Hurdle bid with a display of serene authority, the sort of performance that asked no questions of her but perhaps answered one or two for the rest. A three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, she has never yet lined up for the hurdling showpiece itself, instead sweeping aside her own division at Prestbury Park over the past two seasons. Victory in last spring’s Aintree Hurdle confirmed her readiness to tackle open company, and with Willie Mullins forced to reshuffle following the season-ending injury to State Man, Rich Ricci’s mare stepped into the role of super-sub with an ease that belied the task.

Paul Townend wasted no time, sending the 1-5 favourite straight to the lead, and from that moment the race was reduced to a procession. Two furlongs out her rivals were already feeling the pinch, Townend able to cast a glance over each shoulder and see nothing but space as she coasted clear of Glen Kiln, the outsider running on for second but never within hailing distance.

Mullins was quietly satisfied with the reappearance, saying: “She was very good. The race was run at an even pace on heavy ground and she did what she needed to do.

“We weren’t going to hold her up today, I didn’t see any point. We let her out to gallop, see how she is and put her right for the next time.

“They didn’t go anything like the pace they went at Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) last year, but we don’t want to light her up too much. As a four-year-old she was way too free.

“Leopardstown at Christmas would look the obvious place to go.

“She fell there before and took a chance at the fourth-last today, but hopefully she doesn’t do something like that again.

“We were very disappointed with Irancy (last of the four starters). Mark (Walsh) said the ground when he came in, but I don’t think so. He was beaten way too early.”

Attention now shifts to Newcastle for a Fighting Fifth that promises to be unusually revealing. Mullins added: “The plan is for Anzadam to go to Newcastle next Saturday. I hear Golden Ace is going to go there and with Constitution Hill and The New Lion it is going to be a hell of a race.”

Lossiemouth, meanwhile, will head to her Christmas assignment with momentum restored and a long-deferred target finally in view.

Unibet Morgiana Hurdle
€150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 160y, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Soft to Heavy

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Lossiemouth 6 11-5 W P Mullins Paul Townend 1/5F
2 19 Glen Kiln 6 11-12 David Harry Kelly Brian Hayes 28/1
3 13 Ndaawi 5 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 18/1
4 2¾ Irancy 7 11-12 W P Mullins Mark Walsh 5/1