Lossiemouth shows them how it is done at Fairyhouse

With three entries in the Bar One Racing-sponsored €120,000 Fairyhouse Grader, Gordon Elliott seemingly held all aces. However, despite Beacon Edge setting the fractions and Maxxum sitting on Lossiemouth's girth early on, neither of which made Paul Townend's life any easier on the keen 4-7 girl, their combined efforts weren't nearly enough. She was just far too good.

Teahupoo (Sam Ewing 4-1) had a good lead, but Paul was waiting menacingly in his slipstream. A year after being lured into challenging Impaire Et Passe, he wasn't going to make the same mistake again on a precocious mare blessed with an abundance of pace.

Poised like a hawk hovering over prey, Paul delayed as long as dareable, until finally, he put his condemned rival out of its misery. Lossiemouth pinged it, cruising nearly 4 lengths clear. It was a statement performance that confirmed fairly unequivocally just how dangerous the athletic mare is, with a 7lb allowance, prompting trainer, Willie Mullins to raise the spectre of a possible encounter with Constitution Hill in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.

The Closutton maestro didn't commit to anything, but it's not beyond any realms of possibility, that Lossiemouth could even be a more likely starter there than last year's beleaguered Kempton winner.

With State Man the only one with a nailed-down next target, the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown, plans are fluid, and a repeat bid for Lossiemouth in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham is not a given.

"She might go to the International Hurdle, or to Kempton," Willie said.

Lossiemouth made her Irish debut when bolting up in the juvenile hurdle in 2022. This was her first start at the track since then,

Surprisingly, it was only Paul's second Hatton's Grace success, 14 years after prompting Hurricane Fly to oblige, over Solwhit and Voler La Vedette. The only real concern he had was switching off his classy mount, and she did make a mess of the fourth-last when trying to keep a lid on her.

Unibet Champion Hurdle: 6-4 Lossiemouth, 4 Sir Gino, 9-2 Constitution Hill, State Man, 12 Brighterdaysahead, 33 bar

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Romeo Coolio is no longer Supreme Novices' Hurdle top man, after being turned upside down by Tounsivator, for Willie Mullins in the Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.

Not one of the Closutton representatives stood out as a potential candidates for the Cheltenham Festival, but all five finished neatly, with the Tounsivator (Danny Mullins 12-1), sending a message to Romeo Coolio.

At a steady gallop, quite a few had chances turning in, but the winner struggled to find racing room. Soon he picked up well from the last and showed a superior turn of foot.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 7 Salvator Mundi, 14 Redemption Day, 14 Jasmin De Vaux, 16 Romeo Coolio, Jeroboam Machin, Karniquet, Kopek Des Bordes, 20 bar

Triumph Hurdle,6 East India Dock, 12 Palladium, Hello Neighbour, 16 Naturally Nimble, Olympic Story, Charlus, Willy De Houelle, Murcia, 20 Mondo Man, 25 bar.