Lossiemouth shortens for Mares' Hurdle after owner Rich Ricci floats possibility of her switching from the Champion

Lossiemouth was on Thursday subject of a significant move on the Betfair Exchange and trading at around even-money for the Mares' Hurdle after owner Rich Ricci floated the possibility of her switching Tuesday targets, having been aimed at the Champion Hurdle all season.

The six-year-old was 6-4 favourite for the Champion with Paddy Power after winning the Hatton's Grace Hurdle on her seasonal reappearance before finishing two and a half lengths behind Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

She went off 8-11 favourite to beat reigning Champion Hurdle winner State Man in last month's Irish Champion Hurdle and was still travelling with plenty of venom before taking a heavy fall at the sixth. Despite that blip she remained solid in ante-post markets for the Champion Hurdle at around 4-1.

Gordon Elliott revealed on Monday that his star mare Brighterdaysahead is set to line up in the Champion Hurdle having been a short-priced favourite for the Mares' Hurdle, but it now seems that Lossiemouth could take the reverse route and swerve the Tuesday feature for the preceding mares' contest.

She had remained pretty solid for the Mares' Hurdle with the traditional bookmakers on Thursday, but on the Betfair Exchange her price contracted from 2.51 to 2.02. Conversely, her price for the Champion Hurdle wandered on the exchange from 9.4 overnight out to 18.5.

According to the ToteRacing X account, Rich Ricci said on a Sun Racing preview on Wednesday evening: "She had a horrible fall at Leopardstown. I talked to Willie last night and we will decide which race she runs in at the weekend.

"Maybe she's just a very good mare and not a Champion Hurdle horse."

Rich Ricci: has said a decision will be made at the weekendCredit: Edward Whitaker

Paddy Power have Lossiemouth as a 5-1 chance for the Champion Hurdle in its non-runner no bet market and cut her into 4-7 favourite for the Mares' Hurdle after confirmations but have not reported any major market moves in the interim.

Spokesman Paul Binfield said: “We cut her for the Mares' after confirmations yesterday, but we haven’t seen any money since and she’s fairly weak in comparison to some of her potential rivals in that race.

"Perhaps there’s nothing in that as it’s a NRNB book anyway and she has always been priced as if she’s a likely runner.”

Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (3.20 Cheltenham, Tuesday)
Paddy Power: 4-7 Lossiemouth, 5-2 Jade De Grugy, 5 Golden Ace, 6 July Flower, 7 Joyeuse, 10 bar.

Unibet Champion Hurdle (4.00 Cheltenham, Tuesday)
Paddy Power: 8-13 Constitution Hill, 15-8 Brighterdaysahead, 5 Lossiemouth, 7 State Man, 33 bar.

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