Golden Ace will conclude her 2025/26 campaign at Punchestown. The 2025 Champion Hurdler has been kept busy this spring. However, trainer Jeremy Scott believes there is one more big run to come from his star mare.
She ended the previous calendar year with her second Grade 1 success. That was achieved in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, during which both Constitution Hill and The New Lion fell. She has often been the beneficiary of good fortune. She was second in her own right to State Man in last season’s Punchestown Champion Hurdle, though.
With that result in mind, Scott is favouring that race again instead of the mares’ only event 24 hours later.
“All being well we’re aiming for Punchestown and we’re probably favouring the Champion Hurdle,” he said to the Press Association via Racing TV. “We’re sort of third-favourite for both races and we’d probably rather aim for the money.
“Obviously we’re going to see how the situation develops, but I think at the moment that’s where we’re leaning. It would be very nice to get her head in front again, but we’re slightly up against it whichever way you go.”
Lossiemouth awaits as last two Champion Hurdlers face off
Lossiemouth was a comfortable winner of this year’ Champion hurdle. She dethroned Golden Ace, who could only finish fifth at Cheltenham. Scott’s mare then finished fourth in the 2m4f Aintree Hurdle. The second through fifth from the Champion Hurdle finished in the same order from first to fourth in Liverpool.
“I’ve been very happy with her since Aintree actually, all good. She’ll have had three runs fairly close together, but having missed Wincanton (Kingwell Hurdle in February) I feel she’s fresh and well and she can have a nice holiday after this.”
The decision to take on Lossiemouth again may appear fanciful. However, the Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle one-two, Wodhooh and Jade De Grugy, would be waiting in the female-only event.
As such, it is the Champion Hurdle route for Golden Ace next week. However, the trip does not faze Scott in terms of plans for the following season.
“I think we’ll go down a similar route next season, but we might vary the trip a little bit. I actually thought she ran as well at Aintree if not better than she did at Cheltenham, so I wouldn’t be worried about two-and-a-half.
“It slightly depends on the ground – if we got reasonably quick ground you’d probably aim for two-and-a-half and on soft ground two miles suits her all day long really.”