Okay, we are up to our old tricks again as you might have been thinking that the Willie Mullins-trained superstar grey Lossiemouth was running in the Cleeve Hurdle.
She’s NOT – but the less-famous Lossiemouth, who is trained by former jockey Polly Gundry, might be.
However, if you were hoping to see the better-known Lossiemouth – all is not lost.
She’s still a potential runner in the Unibet Hurdle on the same Cheltenham card – so we could be Lossiemouth double-handed at Prestbury Park on Saturday.
Lossiemouth Still Holds Cleeve Hurdle Entry For Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham
He was due to run at Haydock last Saturday and be ridden by Charlie Deutsch, but Lossiemouth was declared a non-runner before he could set foot on the Lancashire track.
However, what is Haydock’s loss, could be Cheltenham’s gain – as the lesser-known LOSSIEMOUTH is still entered in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle at Festival Trials Day this Saturday.
The 10 year-old, who is trained in Devon by Polly Gundry and owned by Lady Cobham, also had an entry at Huntingdon on Thursday – but with the final declarations out he’s not going there.
With his only remaining horse racing entry in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham. The race will be shown LIVE on ITV Racing.
Lossiemouth Was Off The Track For Over Three Years
Lossiemouth has won five if his 12 starts and is lightly-raced for his age – due be being off the track for 1066 days (nothing to do with the Battle Of Hastings) between December 21 and November 2024.
He was last seen running a fair fourth at Newbury in a Handicap Hurdle at the end of November 2024 – which was his first run for just over three years.
Prior to that (when trained by Tom Lacey), during the 2021 season (3 years ago), he racked up a trio of wins at Ascot, Ffos Las and also landed the Grade Two Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown to showcase he’s no stranger to winning at this Cleeve Hurdle level.
But, during that campaign (2021), his winning run came to an end when fifth to Stage Star in the 2021 Challow Hurdle (watch below).
If running in the 2025 Cleeve Hurdle, Lossiemouth would have plenty to find at the weights.
He’s rated 134, whereas the likes of Crambo are 156 and Strong Leader 158.
Long Distance and Long Walk Hurdle Winners To Clash In Cleeve Hurdle
As well as the Polly Gundry-trained Lossiemouth running in the Cleeve Hurdle, the race is also expected to see Strong Leader and Crambo.
Crambo landed the Long Walk Hurdle for a second season at Ascot in December and will head here in a bid to try and improve on his nineth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival last March.
Strong Leader was last of ten in the above Long Walk Hurdle, but that that clearly wasn’t his running.
Prior to that this Olly Murphy-trained hurdler was seen winning the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury – beating Monmiral, who could also line-up in the Cleeve Hurdle on Saturday.
While last season Strong Leader also showed his class to win the Grade One Aintree Liverpool Hurdle at the Grand National Meeting (watch below).
He was third in the Cleeve Hurdle 12 months ago – beaten just 1 1/4 lengths to former Grand National winner Noble Yeats.
On Saturday, we could also see Botox Has (6th) and Dashel Drasher (4th), who also figured in last season’s Cleeve.
Who Was The Last Cleeve Hurdle Winner To Land The Stayers’ Hurdle At The Festival?
The Cleeve Hurdle is also deemed a fair trial for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival.
Over the years there have been many horses win both, with the most recent Paisley Park in 2019. Paisley Park won the Cleeve Hurdle three times during his career between 2019 and 2022.
Prior to that former King George VI Chase winner Thistlecrack won both in 2016. While the mighty Big Buck’s did the double twice in 2009 and 2012.
Along with Lady Rebecca, who won the race three years on the spin between 1999 and 2001 – these two horses are the only ones to win the race more than twice.
The current Stayers’ Hurdle market leader Teahupoo isn’t running in the Cleeve Hurdle.
We Could See TWO Lossiemouth’s In Action At Cheltenham On Saturday
The Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth could also be heading to Cheltenham for Trials Day this weekend – she’s still got an entry in the Unibet Hurdle (International Hurdle) – a race she won with ease last year.
If she does make the trip over, she’ll renew her rivalry with Constitution Hill, who beat her in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton over Christmas (watch below).
If these giants of the two mile hurdling division do lock horns again – the horse that come out on top will surely be the favourite for the Champion Hurdle with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK come March.
Lossiemouth Career In Numbers (Polly Gundry)
- Age: 10
- Runs: 12
- Wins: 5
- Grade One Wins: 0
- Earnings: $49,016
Lossiemouth Career In Numbers (Willie Mullins)
- Age: 6
- Runs: 11
- Wins: 9
- Grade One Wins: 5
- Earnings: $517,986
Cleeve Hurdle Runners and Entries 2025
- Botox Has
- Crambo
- Strong Leader
- Monmiral
- Kerryhill
- Ga Law
- Gowel Road
- Lossiemouth
- Transmission
- Buddy One
Why Are There Two Horses Called Lossiemouth?
Lossiemouth – the one trained by Willie Mullins – was born and bred in France, which is where she was named.
She ran just the once over there for trainer Yannick Fouin (won by 10 lengths), before being sold to Rich Ricci and sent to Willie Mullins. She was born in March 2019.
The, the older Lossiemouth – the one trained by Polly Gundry – was born in April 2015 – so would have obviously got his name first. In short, the Willie Mullins Lossiemouth is a copycat.
The pair share their name with a town in Moray, Scotland – and with them both being graded winners over hurdles have certainly put the town on the map.
So the reason they share the same name is that they originated from two different counties and were named under their horse racing jurisdictions.
Cleeve Hurdle Race Details 2025
📅Date: Saturday 25th January 2025
⌚Time: 3:35pm
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄Trip: 3m
💷Winning Purse: £39,389
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV – Full ITV Racing coverage here
Cleeve Hurdle Recent Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2024 – Noble Yeats
- 2023 – Gold Tweet
- 2022 – Paisley Park
- 2021 – No Race
- 2020- Paisley Park
- 2019 – Paisley Park
- 2018 – Agrapart
- 2017 – Unowhatimeanharry
- 2016 – Thistlecrack
- 2015 – Saphir Du Rheu
