Lossiemouth wins Champion Hurdle at Punchestown

Lossiemouth put the seal on another excellent season by winning the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare, a 2-7 favourite, was a comfortable winner of the two-mile Grade One race, having five lengths to spare over Golden Ace (11-1) at the finishing post.

Ridden by Paul Townend, Lossiemouth has now won four races from four starts at the County Kildare course and has notched up 11 Grade One victories.

The grey had secured a fourth Cheltenham Festival success in the Champion Hurdle at Prestbury Park last month.

Townend, meanwhile, has been enjoying a purple patch, riding Gaelic Warrior to success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and then I Am Maximus to a Grand National triumph in April.

"A brilliant season," reflected winning jockey Townend, speaking to RTE at the end of the race.

"I'm in the right camp to be on these very good horses - I'm very fortunate," he added.

Wilful (16/1) finished third.

Earlier, the Mullins-Townend trainer-jockey combination had yielded dividends again as 8-13 favourite King Rasko Grey won the Champion Novice Hurdle by a head from Lord Byren (7-1).

The winning horse held off a late challenge from the second-place finisher, with Kiely's Place (10-1) third.