Connections of Lossiemouth are “leaning towards” a potential Christmas cracker of a clash with Constitution Hill in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
The five-year-old made an impressive start to her campaign when comfortably defeating Teahupoo in the two-and-a-half-mile Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at the start of the month, a victory that saw her promoted to the head of the Champion Hurdle market.
With trainer Willie Mullins also housing the reigning champion in the shape of State Man, who suffered a surprise defeat on his return, he is eager to split his stars over the Christmas period and mentioned Kempton as a potential target straight after Lossiemouth’s Fairyhouse win.
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She is also entered in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29 – but owner Rich Ricci feels they are more likely to bypass that in favour of a trip to Kempton on Boxing Day or even Cheltenham for the Relkeel Hurdle on January 1.
Ricci told Matt Chapman on the At The Races’ Unbridled podcast: “State Man loves Leopardstown, it’s his course, he’s undefeated there and our only defeat was at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“We might go to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival, last year we went to the International (at Cheltenham), but she would carry a bigger penalty this year. I would say we’re probably leaning towards that (Christmas Hurdle), but we can lean the other way as well. There’s the option of the race on New Year’s Day which Annie Power won at Cheltenham. She will run somewhere at Christmas, but I think at the moment he’s talking about the Christmas Hurdle.
“I think his view is you’re the Champion Hurdle favourite and you’re supposed to run in the Christmas Hurdle, but we’ll see what happens. We’ll see if she’s all right to get there, who knows. She will definitely have an entry and we will take it from there.”
Should Constitution Hill line up at Kempton, it will be his first start since a comfortable victory in the Grade One last year with Nicky Henderson’s charge having suffered a series of ailments in the interim.
However, Ricci does not underestimate his challenge, adding: “Constitution Hill is a monster and if he’s back to where he was, he’ll definitely be hard to beat.”
Another Ricci star set to be unleashed over the Christmas period is Gaelic Warrior, winner of the Faugheen Novice Chase and Arkle at the highest level last term.
He is likely to contest the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown on December 27, although Ricci also mentioned Kempton’s Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase on the same day as another alternative.
He said: “I would imagine he would be out first time around Christmas, there’s the two-mile Grade One at Leopardstown, he’s entered in that and you’re probably going to see him there or, depending on what his other runners do, we could travel to Kempton on December 27, it depends who else is coming. You will see him at Christmas, he’s doing quite a bit and the plan is to get him out at Christmas.
“The plan is to go to the Champion Chase, I wouldn’t mind if he went to the Ryanair but at the moment all we’re talking about for him is the Champion Chase. It will be a hell of race if they all show up, all those intending to get there, and Cheltenham is always the plan until they tell us differently.”
Jonbon currently heads the market for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival following his second Tingle Creek victory and Ricci takes a keen interest in Henderson’s runner as he is a full-brother to his former two-mile star Douvan and owned by a friend in JP McManus.
He added: “I’d like to win the race, whether we beat Jonbon or whoever else. I like Jonbon, I love watching him run and because he’s related to Douvan, when we’re not racing against him I root for him and JP is a great pal as well. I’d like to win the race and we’ll see who turns up.”
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