Lossiemouth will make her seasonal debut in Saturday's Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown where she will be joined by Willie Mullins stablemate Irancy.
The Closutton pair feature among a final field of just four, along with Glen Kiln and Ndaawi, with the Mullins-trained Anzadam not declared for the two-mile Grade 1 contest despite being widely expected to be the yard's number one hope in the race.
The Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned Lossiemouth was last seen completing a Grade 1 double at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring and will be ridden by stable jockey Paul Townend.
Speaking on Thursday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, the Ricci's racing manager Joe Chambers was asked if there was an element of surprise to Lossiemouth being declared rather than wait for the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse later in the month, and he said: "Yes, and no.
"No, in that it's Willie; and no also with State Man (being injured) and that news from last week.
"But yes, a little bit, in that he (Mullins) is a creature of habit and the Hatton's Grace was always there and where she had been to last year. So not totally surprised.
"I would think that Paul is very happy to ride her over two miles now that State Man is out of the picture, versus everything else at Closutton, and I take a lot of confidence from that. It looks like Anzadam will probably go elsewhere now.
"It would probably then mean she'll go onto Christmas at Leopardstown and stick to two miles there, then we'll take about races in the New Year in the New Year, if we're still healthy and well."
Super-sub steps in
Speaking on Racing TV from Thurles where he rode a winner for Mullins on Thursday afternoon, Townend said: "There's four in it I think and she's the one you'd pick I suppose isn't it?
"We're glad to have her... she's a fair super-sub and hopefully we can crack on for the season ahead."
When asked by Gary O'Brien whether he'd had a sit on Lossiemouth at home lately, Townend said with a beaming smile: "I have, yes, she's in good form."
Lossiemouth is the current 7/2 joint-favourite alongside The New Lion with Sky Bet and Paddy Power for the Unibet Champion Hurdle next March, a race she skipped last spring in favour of the Mares' Hurdle which she won in commanding fashion.
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