Ruby Walsh expects Lossiemouth to emerge as Willie Mullins' main hope in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham - but from a betting perspective he feels the value bet in the race hails from outside the yard.
Last year's JCB Triumph Hurdle winner has yet to set foot on the racetrack this season, like stablemate Gala Marceau who chased her home last March, but speaking on the second episode of Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’, the pundit reported both to be progressing well.
"She’s in good form and so is Gala Marceau. I’d imagine they’ll both run in the next three to four weeks and I’d be shocked if they didn’t as they’re both ready to go." he said.
"Gala Marceau and Ashroe Diamond could both go to Doncaster at the end of the month. I think it’s the race Annie Power won before she ran in the Stayers’ Hurdle. But they’re both in good nick – Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau hold an entry in the Irish Champion Hurdle and you also have the Quevega Hurdle in Punchestown in the middle of February so they’ll all get an outing.
"There’s also the Red Mills and the Boyne Hurdle in Navan – there’s five options for three horses. Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau being five-year-olds, Willie was kind of keen to try something different and he’s left them both into the spring of their five-year-old year before he brought them to the track whereas Ashroe Diamond did have a run behind Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse and she ran reasonably well.
"She was very good in the spring when she beat Whatcouldhavebeen in the Grade 1 in the Fairyhouse mares’ novice hurdle. He has strength in depth here. You’re guaranteed stamina with Gala Marceau to stay and it’s going to be trip or something that’s going to have to bring about improvement with her to beat Lossiemouth. Will Lossiemouth definitely stay – she has a speedy pedigree but she has a good way of racing though. She hits the line fairly strong but I’d say last year’s Triumph was a bit stop start wasn’t it?"
When asked which of the trio was the yard's main hope he replied: "I think Lossiemouth has the ability to stay and she’s my idea of the winner and Willie’s best chance in the race. Does she make any appeal to me at 5/2 in an ante-post bet – absolutely none."
But Telmesomethinggirl does at 33/1.
Walsh explained: "Jetara was good at Christmas and surprised me, but I’m going to pull one out of that race that I think is a huge price. I think Telmesomethinggirl didn’t like jumping fences and you can write off her chase career. She was cantering in this race two years’ ago behind Marie’s Rock when she got brought down at the second last.
"She ran over hurdles at Leopardstown and she gave away a lot more jumping than she was beaten and that can often happen when you come back to chasing. I don’t care how much schooling you do, when you put them back in a race. She was propping and going up in the air and the further she went, she actually jumped the last two hurdles quite well. I wouldn’t be surprised if she were to run a bigger race somewhere. She likes coming from off the pace and if she lined up here at a huge price 33/1, I think each-way she could run into something. I don’t think she ran as bad as it looked in Leopardstown."
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