3:20 Leopardstown Tips

The ever-reliable LOSSIEMOUTH comes here looking for her tenth Grade 1 victory. Having fallen in this race 12 months ago, this seven-year-old returned to winning ways by taking the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next time out and has since made it four consecutive Grade 1 victories over hurdles. In her sixteen completed starts, she has won thirteen times and finished second on the other two occasions. She got the better of the re-opposing Brighterdaysahead over C&D (Good to Yielding) last time out. The margin at the line was a length, and she always appeared to be holding that rival at bay, seeing the race out strongly. She has form on ground described as Heavy, so she shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the more testing conditions today. Trainer Willie Mullins has hit a good vein of form over the past 14 days, securing 13 winners from 44 runners (strike rate 29.55%) over that period, yielding a level stakes profit of +13.66. They can add to that tally with this top-class mare. (NAP).

Lossiemouth is a proven champion and will always be hard to beat, but there are reasons to think Brighterdaysahead could reverse that one-length defeat from last time, with her seasonal return now behind her. She is usually very effective at this stage of the season and clearly enjoys testing ground. She beat odds-on State Man in similar conditions last term and later landed another Grade 1 at this venue in impressive style. Something clearly went wrong in the spring, yet her December hurdle run was encouraging, especially as she was not given a hard race. With that outing in the legs, she looks a serious danger to the Mullins favourite.

El Fabiolo has done well over fences but returned to hurdles at Punchestown on New Year's Eve. He won that race in style, beating Glen Kiln and Spillanes Tower by over eight lengths. That performance gives hope that he may rise to the challenge here.