Lossiemouth swept home to win the William Hill Aintree Hurdle, as Constitution Hill left onlookers stunned again with another fall.
Nicky Henderson’s superstar was the even-money favourite to put his shock Champion Hurdle spill from Cheltenham firmly behind him, and after a smooth passage through the early stages he looked on track to do so.
Nico de Boinville had found himself boxed in approaching the penultimate flight, however, where both horse and rider hit the floor, as Willie Mullins’ Lossiemouth powered to the lead to score at 5-4 under Paul Townend from Wodhooh.
“Two and a half miles was ideal for her here, the race was ideal for her,” winning jockey Paul Townend told ITV.
“The ground was lively enough, it’s drying out every minute compared to how it was riding on the hurdles course earlier. She coped with it well. I’ve seen Nico walking away, and Constitution Hill, so we can celebrate that.”
