Like so many big races over jumps in the Emerald Isle, the Irish Champion Hurdle of 2026 on Sunday, 1 February during the Dublin Racing Festival reflects the state of play in the National Hunt code in the country. Two training powerhouses in Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have all seven remaining runners at the penultimate declaration stage between them.
On paper, this looks like a December Hurdle rematch over the two-mile course and distance at Leopardstown between the yards’ star mares Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead. Due to torrential rain courtesy of Storm Chandra, the going on the Southside of Dublin will be more testing than it was at Christmas for these two fabulous females in their latest encounter.
Lossiemouth prevailed by a length over Brighterdaysahead in December with race fitness telling. Following a pelvic injury to Sir Gino, she is now one of the Cheltenham favourites again, but for both the Champion Hurdle rather than the Mares’ Hurdle. It is Lossiemouth’s performance here against her old rival and plenty of threats from within her own stable that will ultimately determine her Festival target.
She fell down the back straight in the Irish Champion Hurdle 12 months ago, but has been perfect since. Lossiemouth took her Grade 1 tally to nine in December with success over then then reappearing and now re-opposing Brighterdaysahead. The second iron in the fire Cullentra House handler Elliott has for the race, meanwhile, is Casheldale Lad.
He could only manage a keeping on third for Bective Stud behind the mares, owned by Rich & Susannah Ricci and Gigginstown House Stud respectively, who he again meets off the same terms. It is a case of how many of the other four Mullins mounts will try and concede 7lb to Lossiemouth at Leopardstown.
Anazadam & Ballyadam Have Idiosyncrasies
Behind Casheldale Lad in fourth in the December Hurdle was Anzadam, another who potentially re-opposes in the Irish Champion Hurdle of 2026. He made a sudden move down the back straight under crack amateur and trainer’s son Patrick Mullins where he pulled himself into the lead. It was far too soon for that, however, and Anzadam faded on the run-in into fourth.
It looked a backwards step from his second place on reappearance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, but that should be prefaced by the fact that both Constitution Hill and The New Lion took tumbles in Tyneside. Anzadam, who showed a high head carriage on his British bow, doesn’t look straightforward. There is obvious talent there, as Cheltenham bookies recognise, but he’s yet to deliver in Grade 1 company.
This will be his third crack at the highest level, however, and more testing conditions at Leopardstown could suit Anazdam if he settles better. That latter prerequisite is a test that Ballyburn, another of the Mullins mounts in the Irish Champion Hurdle of 2026, has failed before. He drops back markedly in trip from contesting the Christmas Hurdle over almost three miles here a day earlier than those re-opposing from the festive period.
Mullins has plenty of Cheltenham horses with multiple entries as ever. Ballyburn, who knows what it takes to win at the Festival, does have the Champion Hurdle as an option. A dangerously low head carriage with his nose scraping the turf carries its own issues. While runners that do this seldom fall, the rider must either rely on Ballyburn picking his head up approaching the obstacles or expend energy in the saddle doing it for him.
Could Hurdling Campaign Continue to Rejuvenate El Fabiolo
Simon Munir & Issac Souede are one of the many powerful sets of owners who send their horses to Mullins. Their Irish Champion Hurdle 2026 entrant El Fabiolo could find returning to timber as the answer to reviving his career. A loss of form and jumping technique over fences means he’s back hurdling for now, and readily accounted for subsequent graded winners Glen Kiln and Spillane’s Tower last time out.
That came on New Year’s Eve at Punchestown over two miles and three furlongs. Mullins has already nominated the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at two-and-a-half miles as a spring target for El Fabiolo. Despite being a previous Cheltenham Festival winner of the Arkle, it may be Merseyside rather than the Cotswolds on his agenda. Much could depend on his performance down in distance here for the two-time Leopardstown Grade 1 winner.
A lovely performance from El Fabiolo in the Make The @ToteRacing App Your New Year’s Resolution NYE Hurdle ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7UUcSgaehX
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) December 31, 2025
Completing the potential field in the Irish Champion Hurdle of 2026 is the fourth of the Mullins mounts in Flat convert Poniros. Unlike the rest of the runners, he hasn’t had an outing this season. Last seen flopping on the level during Royal Ascot, Poniros is the young gun of the two-mile hurdling division aged five. Whether he can spring another shock like in last term’s Triumph Hurdle remains to be seen, however.
As Cheltenham results go, that 100/1 surprise success on hurdles debut was one of the biggest upsets in Festival history. Poniros has since seen Lulamba turnaround the form at Punchestown and go on two land a Grade 1 over fences. He’s open to the most progress, but will need to improve if stepping into open company and conceding the sex allowance to those two mighty mares.
Irish Champion Hurdle 2026 Shortlist & Verdict
Mares have won four of the last seven editions with the three latest going to the injured State Man. In his absence, this revolves around the two seven-year-old mares LOSSIEMOUTH and Brighterdaysahead. Neither minds heavy ground, so the deluge hitting Leopardstown won’t inconvenience them. Both have the same official rating of 159 from the handicapper.
Brighterdaysahead should come on for her reappearance, but hasn’t hit the heights of her 30-length course and distance demolition job in last season’s December Hurdle since. Lossiemouth is the more reliable of the females. From the others, a Mullins mount looks booked for third place with Ballyburn the highest rated and El Fabiolo back in some form now reverting to hurdles.
Further progress from either Anzadam or Poniros on his return to action can’t be ruled out either. The problem with backing either is a lack of race fitness for the latter, while the former’s antics here last month raise concerns about his temperament. So long as the mares receive 7lb, any chink in a gelding’s armour counts against them off these terms.
