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In a showdown between Stayers’ Hurdle hero Teahupoo and Mares’ Hurdle victor Lossiemouth, it was the Willie Mullins-trained mare who dominated the 2m4f Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The grey mare, who went from strength to strength in both open and mares company last season, was keen throughout the early stages of the race and made a mistake with four-to-jump. It failed to stop the exciting five-year-old, who cruised alongside Gordon Elliott's Teahupoo before the last flight and breezed past the gelding, recording an easy three-and-three-quarter length victory.
"It was very impressive, they went very steady which I think suited us," said Willie Mullins, in an interview with RTE.
"She has that bit of speed. She has a nice Flat pedigree and when they went steady, it was bar a fall or something like that. She did make a bad mistake at the fourth last but when it came down to a speed race, I thought she was going to win that anyway.
"Her dam is a half-sister to Lord Glitters, who was a good miler a few years ago for David O'Meara. That's the sort of pedigree she has, she has that bit of speed that always comes in handy when they go steady."
Lossiemouth's emphatic victory means Mullins holds two leading Champion Hurdle contenders in his yard, and the trainer is keen to keep them apart.
"I imagine we'll try to keep them apart," he added.
"There is no point us knocking our heads against one another. We can do that later on in the season and we'll find out more about what's in England.
"State Man will probably go to Leopardstown at Christmas. She went to the International Hurdle last year but we'll have to look at the conditions of that as it mightn't suit."
The weekend has caused some change to the Champion Hurdle market, with Lossiemouth shortening to 6/4 favourite, ahead of stablemate State Man at 9/2 with Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Sir Gino at 3/1.
