Leading owner Max McNeill has called for Cheltenham to end the “nonsense” that gives the best mares – including Lossiemouth – a “cop out” of running in the Champion Hurdle.
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle has provided the easy option to the Tuesday feature in recent years, targeted by past Champion Hurdlers Honeysuckle and Epatante and won by Lossiemouth in 2024 and 2025.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old is William Hill’s even-money favourite to rack up a hat-trick in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 1, moved from Tuesday to Thursday for 2026, after her defeat to Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle eight days ago.
And leading owner and Cheltenham board member McNeill believes change is overdue.
“The confusion over which race these mares are going to is nonsense,” he said. “I think we need to know now.
“The racing public, the punters, are getting fed up with it and they want to see the best horses in the Champion Hurdle - not have a cop-out in an easier Grade 1.
“There’s a bit of a cloud over that and I think we should get it sorted.”
Reclassifying the Mares’ Hurdle as a Grade 2 or the introduction of a ratings restriction would ensure the best horses, including the 159-rated Lossiemouth, contest the Champion Hurdle, argued McNeill, owner of Turners Novices’ Hurdle favourite No Drama This End.
“With a Grade 2, if Lossiemouth is going to run she needs to carry a Grade 1 penalty, or you make it a 0-150,” he added.
“That’s my view - it’s just my opinion - and I think we need to change that, because we all want competitive racing.”
Meanwhile Staffordshire Knot led home a Gordon Elliott-saddled 1-2-3 for the Grade 2 William Hill Boyne Hurdle when the 11-10 favourite beat Cullentra House stablemates Better Days Ahead and Maxxum at Navan on Sunday.
And Oscars Brother opened up a whole range of options with another dominant display in the William Hill Racing Bet Builder Ten Up Novice Chase.
Trained by Connor King and ridden by his brother Daniel, he was racing for the first time in the famous JP McManus silks having been bought after winning the Florida Pearl Novice Chase last time out.
Sent off the 6-4 favourite, he was sent into an early lead and never saw any of his three rivals, opening up a wide margin by halfway before being given a breather.
The most impressive part of his performance was the way he quickened up between the final two fences to stroll to a six-length win over The Wallpark.
He was cut to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at Cheltenham by Paddy Power, while he also holds an entry for the Grand National later in the season.
