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Willie Mullins plans 'war council' before making Lossiemouth decision over Constitution Hill rematch

Willie Mullins speaking to RTÉ Sport after sending out Lossiemouth to win on day two of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival last month
Willie Mullins speaking to RTÉ Sport after sending out Lossiemouth to win on day two of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival last month

Willie Mullins will make a late decision on whether Lossiemouth will have a rematch with Constitution Hill at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Constitution Hill came out well on top when the pair met in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Stephen's Day, returning from a year on the sidelines to score by two and a half lengths.

Both are entered for the Unibet Hurdle at Prestbury Park this weekend, but Mullins has still to decide on whether she will travel from her Closutton base or wait for next week's Dublin Racing Festival.

Reflecting on her Kempton defeat, Mullins said: "Lossiemouth set off at about two and a half or even three-mile pace and she did well to finish as close as she did.

"We'd been settling her all the time and she just couldn't handle the pace because that is what we'd been teaching her.

"To me the race was gone before she hit the first hurdle. She wasn't competitive. I thought she ran well given what we'd been teaching her the last couple of years. We'll sharpen her up at home. It will be different the next day.

"We haven't decided on her next engagement, she's in at Cheltenham and Leopardstown and we'll have a war council in the next 24 hours and decide."


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