"Lossiemouth's Cheltenham Festival Aspirations Solidify as Bets Pour in for Willie Mullins' Star Grey"

LOSSIEMOUTH’S Cheltenham Festival target looks all but confirmed – amid a surge of cash for Willie Mullins’ superstar grey filly.

Last year’s Mares’ Hurdle queen finally – finally – looks like she will get the chance to run in the Champion Hurdle.

Lossiemouth was clipped into 5-2 with some sportsbooks for the day one feature on Thursday.

But it was on the Betfair Exchange where the really eye-catching gamble took shape.

Lossiemouth had been matched at a low of 3.95 (around 3-1) at the time of writing.

More than half a million quid has been matched on the race in all, with a shade over £80,000 being for the former Triumph winner.

She had been around 6.0 (5-1) at the start of the day so the move is significant, especially as she went right out to 6.2 (5-1) for the Mares’.

The Champion Hurdle plunge even had her challenging for favouritism with Dan Skelton’s The New Lion.

He remains solid at the head of the market on sportsbooks and on the exchange but was a slight drifter on the latter while money poured in for Lossiemouth.

Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead was a little uneasy with some bookies, drifting to 7-2 from 3-1.

While she was a bigger mover on the exchange, going out to 5.3 (9-2).

Speaking at Sun Racing’s Cheltenham Festival Preview Night, Lossiemouth’s owner Rich Ricci said he did not know where she would run.

But he did drop some clues.

One of those was that they were considering the use of headgear on the seven-year-old mare.

He also said last year he told Mullins he wanted to run her in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Whereas this year he said he had no real strong opinion on where she should go.

Mullins said the decision would be down to a key bit of work she did – and whether she did it effortlessly after looking laboured when finishing second to Brighterdaysahead at the Dublin Racing Festival.

External factors will no doubt have played a big part too.

Nicky Henderson has ruled Constitution Hill out with the former winner now going only on the Flat.

While top owners Joe and Marie Donnelly have suffered a cruel double blow.

Their former winner State Man and this year’s previous favourite Sir Gino are both out injured.

More to follow.

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