Patrick Mullins looks ahead to what is now the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival, with Lossiemouth all set for the Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday.
Mullins, assistant trainer to his father Willie, is looking forward to the feature race with the seven-year-old mare going well at home ahead of another Grade 1 test.
He told Sporting Life: "She came out of Christmas really well. Look, she's put in two good performances in the Morgiana and then in the Christmas Hurdle. Brighterdaysahead is entitled to improve from her seasonal debut and that's going to put them pretty close.
"But I think the more the emphasis on stamina than is usually the case at the DRF will suit Lossiemouth. Now, it'll probably suit Brighterdaysahead as well, but we definitely wouldn't be swapping our mare."
Lossiemouth isn't the only contender from the Mullins yard with El Fabiolo, Anzadam and Poniros also lining up, but can Mullins split them?
"It's going to be very interesting," he said. "We know the amount of ability that El Fabiolo has, and obviously, for whatever reason, his jumping technique over fences just went to pot, but he always banged heads with Jonbon, so he's a fascinating contender and he's in really good form. I definitely wouldn't be forgetting about him.
"And then Anzadam. I think this race set-up is going to suit him pretty well, you know. I think, a smaller field, a stronger race, in the ground, it will suit.
"I was told the last day to ride him like a normal horse, which I think was the instructions given before and I doubt it'd be the instructions given again! I think heavy ground, Bradley, who rides them at home, thinks the heavier the better for him, so it's not just a two-horse race."
