William Hill Aintree Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 15:30 £250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1  |
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1 Lossiemouth 5/4
2
Wodhooh 17/2
3 Take No Chances 28/1
6 ran NR: Salver Distances: 2¾l, 8l, ½l
Time: 4m 59.15s (slow by 14.15s)
Oh, my ....
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 3, 2025
𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 wins the @WilliamHill @AintreeRaces Hurdle in which Constitution Hill falls at the second-last pic.twitter.com/6frNFprm9Q
In a race that promised redemption, Lossiemouth emerged victorious, but the headlines will once again swirl around Constitution Hill, whose season took another unthinkable turn with a second successive fall that left Aintree in stunned silence.
All eyes were on Nicky Henderson’s superstar as he looked to set the record straight after his shock Cheltenham tumble. Sent off the even-money favourite and travelling with all the old fluency through the early stages under Nico de Boinville, Constitution Hill appeared poised to make amends—until fate intervened once more.
Boxed in and looking to extricate himself approaching the second-last, Constitution Hill clipped the top, and in a moment that defied belief, both horse and rider hit the deck again. That opened the door wide for Paul Townend and Lossiemouth, who needed no second invitation, driving Willie Mullins’ classy mare to a 5-4 success ahead of Wodhooh.
In typically sporting fashion, Mullins struck the right tone post-race:
“I’m genuinely disappointed for Michael, Nicky, Nico and the Constitution Hill team—and for racing, really,” he said.
“We came here thinking the step up in trip would suit our mare, but in truth, we didn’t really get to find out. Paul made a bold move and it worked out, but I was thinking, ‘has he gone too soon?’ Nico has a habit of finding a bit more late on. We’ve been caught by it before.”
As for what’s next, Mullins added Punchestown was the likely target, though any talk of Champion Hurdles or Mares’ titles would be parked for another day:
“State Man will go for the Champion, so we’ll probably keep them apart.”
For Nicky Henderson, the frustration was palpable. Watching the best hurdler of his generation hit the floor again defied not just probability, but sense.
“It’s heartbreaking. To see it happen once is hard. Twice? You just couldn’t make it up,” he said.
“He’s the best jumper I’ve ever seen. But sometimes there’s that one per cent, that fine margin—and it’s gone against us twice now.”
De Boinville, still processing the moment, told Henderson the gelding had felt “full of running” and that Lossiemouth had been “exactly where he wanted her”—but the margins in these top-level races are razor-thin. A moment’s mistiming, and the narrative turns on its head.
Henderson admitted Punchestown was now under discussion, though whether the spark and confidence can be rebuilt in time remains to be seen.
Amid the emotional whiplash of the afternoon, Joe Chambers, racing manager to owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, captured the mood:
“It’s an amazing game, isn’t it? We were floored earlier after losing Willy De Houelle, and now we’re standing in the sunshine with two Grade One winners. It’s the full spectrum. It’s magic—but bittersweet.”
And so, another chapter is written—Lossiemouth ascendant, Constitution Hill fallen but not forgotten. In a sport where glory and grief can come just strides apart, Aintree delivered a story only racing could script.
William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
£250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Lossiemouth 6 11-3 W P Mullins Paul Townend 5/4
2 2¾ Wodhooh 5 11-3 Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan 17/2
3 8 Take No Chances 7 11-3 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 28/1
4 ½ Break My Soul 6 11-3 Ian Patrick Donoghue Keith Donoghue 125/1
5 46 Tellherthename 6 11-10 Jonjo & A J O'Neill Kielan Woods 80/1
FELL Constitution Hill 8 11-10 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville EvsF
NR 2 Salver 5 11-10 Gary & Josh Moore NON RUNNER
