Cheltenham Festival
Lossiemouth Wins the 2026 Champion Hurdle
Lossiemouth won the 2026 Champion Hurdle at 7/5 under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins, beating Brighterdaysahead by six and a half lengths as Constitution Hill missed the race.
Last Updated 3 weeks ago
Result: Lossiemouth won the 2026 Champion Hurdle at 7/5, beating Brighterdaysahead by six and a half lengths for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
The 2026 Champion Hurdle, run on Tuesday 10 March, belonged to Lossiemouth, who confirmed her status as the dominant force in the two-mile hurdling division with a commanding victory on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Lossiemouth lands the crown
Sent off the 7/5 favourite after connections chose the Champion Hurdle over the Mares’ Hurdle, the Willie Mullins-trained grey tracked Brighterdaysahead before quickening to the front on the home turn and powering up the hill.
Ridden by stable jockey Paul Townend, she crossed the line six and a half lengths clear of her old rival Brighterdaysahead, with The New Lion third and Alexei running well in fourth, just ahead of defending champion Golden Ace in fifth.
A flawless Festival record
The win was Lossiemouth’s fourth consecutive Cheltenham Festival success and the tenth Grade 1 of her career. Mullins rated it her finest achievement, placing the Champion Hurdle above everything else she has won.
The cheekpieces fitted for the first time were credited with sharpening her concentration, the trainer noting they made a clear difference.
Constitution Hill misses the race
The build-up had been dominated by uncertainty over Constitution Hill, the 2023 champion, whose run of falls and a striking Flat debut at Southwell left connections weighing his future. The doubts ultimately resolved against a run, and he did not line up.
His absence reshaped a market that had seen him trade as short as 5/2, and opened the race up for the leading mares.
How the placed horses fared
Brighterdaysahead ran her race in second but had no answer to the winner, while The New Lion stayed on into third and Alexei justified each-way support in fourth. Golden Ace, the 2025 winner, could finish only fifth, unable to repeat her surprise of twelve months earlier.
The result extended the Mullins grip on the Festival’s opening-day showpiece. For the story of the previous renewal, see how Golden Ace won the 2025 Champion Hurdle, with more analysis in the site’s Cheltenham Festival betting guides.
