Replay Review: Lossiemouth Claims Fourth Consecutive Cheltenham Festival Win in Champion Hurdle

A review of the 2026 Champion Hurdle replay confirms what the result sheet already suggested: this was an exceptional performance from an exceptional mare, on a day that saw her extend one of Cheltenham’s most remarkable individual records.

Pre-Race Context

Lossiemouth came into the race on the back of a defeat at the Dublin Racing Festival, where Brighterdaysahead had beaten her at odds-on. That reverse provided the market with some pause, though Mullins’ team had identified a clear reason for the reversal and moved to address it: the introduction of cheekpieces for the first time, trialled just ten days before Cheltenham. The decision to run in the Champion Hurdle rather than defend her Mares’ Hurdle title, a race she had won twice, reflected the confidence of her connections in her ability to handle the open division.

In the absence of Constitution Hill, who did not make the Festival, the Champion Hurdle was considered the most open it had been in several years. The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, was sent off at 11/4 second favourite following a strong season over hurdles.

The Race in Detail

The field jumped off cleanly after a false start on the revised Cheltenham layout, which had repositioned the final hurdle further back from the winning post than in previous years, extending the run-in. Brighterdaysahead (Jack Kennedy) and Lossiemouth tracked the pace from an early stage, with The New Lion (Harry Skelton) positioned a few horses further back on the outside.

Watching the replay, the race effectively begins to take shape at the third-last flight. Brighterdaysahead, travelling with purpose and looking every inch a challenger, hits the third-last cleanly. Lossiemouth meets it equally well. The New Lion, at this point, is beginning to come under pressure on the outside.

From the third-last to the second-last, the differentiation in class becomes apparent. Paul Townend barely moves a muscle on Lossiemouth, while Kennedy begins working on Brighterdaysahead and Harry Skelton is already asking The New Lion for his effort. The gap between the winner and the rest grows measurably with each stride.

The Final Hurdle and Run-In

Lossiemouth jumps the final hurdle cleanly and powers up the Cheltenham hill with authority. Brighterdaysahead, to her credit, keeps on gamely to take second, her effort belied by the winning margin, which reads more comfortably than the race actually played out in the chasing pack. The New Lion held on for third. Alexei, trained by Joe Tizzard, ran a big race in fourth, ahead of defending champion Golden Ace in fifth.

The winning margin of six and a half lengths was dominant without being a walkover. What the replay makes clear is that Townend’s mount was never extended.

Speed Data and Timing

Total Performance Data recorded an overall winning time of 3:54.24, just under three seconds slower than Supreme Novices’ winner Old Park Star on the same day, reflecting the comparative nature of the races and fields. Lossiemouth recorded a finishing speed of 105%, indicating a decent but not frantic early gallop. Her time figure was over seven seconds faster than TPD’s expected time for the race, consistent with ground that was drying through the afternoon.

In the final two furlongs, she clocked 28.41s, comparable to Old Park Star’s 28.69s in the opening Supreme. TPD concluded that the data confirmed Lossiemouth as unambiguously the best hurdler to run at the Festival on opening day, noting that no rival was still on the bridle entering the home straight.

Career Context

The win was Lossiemouth’s fourth consecutive victory at the Cheltenham Festival, Triumph Hurdle (2023), Mares’ Hurdle (2024), Mares’ Hurdle (2025), Champion Hurdle (2026), giving her a perfect five-from-five Festival record. Only a small list of horses in the Festival’s long history have achieved four wins at the meeting.

Timeform’s analysis, published shortly after the race, noted that the sedate early gallop, with no dedicated pacemaker, possibly inconvenienced Brighterdaysahead, who is likely a horse requiring stronger fractions to show her best. That qualification noted, the finishing speed analysis left no doubt that on the day, Lossiemouth was a class apart.