Lossiemouth will defend her Mares' Hurdle title rather than running in the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
In Lossiemouth's absence, seven runners have been declared for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, including the last two winners of the race in State Man and Constitution Hill.
Constitution Hill will be an odds-on favourite to regain the crown he was denied the opportunity to defend last year, but faces a new threat in Brighterdaysahead who was a 30-length winner of the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The Champion Hurdle field is completed by Burdett Road, Golden Ace, Winter Fog and King of Kingsfield.
Lossiemouth will instead face ten rivals in the Mares' Hurdle, for which she is likely to be a short-price favourite.
Her trainer Willie Mullins is also responsible for the favourites in the opening two contests, the Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the My Pension Expert Arkle Novices' Chase, in the shape of Kopek des Bordes and Majborough.
Mullins trains half of the 12-runner field in the Supreme, while Majborough is his sole contender in the five-runner Arkle. Lossiemouth's greatest threat in the Mares' Hurdle could come from within her yard as Mullins has two other runners, including Jade de Grugy.
Maximum fields have been declared for the three handicaps on the card, the Ultima Handicap Chase, the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and the National Hunt Novices' Handicap Chase.
In a change to previous years, the National Hunt Chase will be run as a handicap and is not restricted to amateur jockeys, though some leading amateurs have secured rides, notably Patrick Mullins who has been booked for Transmission.
Cheltenham racecards
13:20 Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:00 My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
14:40 Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
15:20 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle) (Grade 1)
16:00 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
17:20 Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.