State Man in control over the final flight© Photo Healy Racing
Tactics played their part in the four runner Grade 1 Unibet Morgiana Hurdle in Punchestown but State Man stamped his class all over proceedings.
Willie Mullins' star hurdler took this race last year on his way to finishing second behind the imperious Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He signed off for the season with victory in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and returned in bullish form.
The 'big two' in Irish National Hunt racing - Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott - both fielded a pair of runners in this top-level contest and it was Elliott's Fils d'Oudairies who led before leaving the door ajar for stablemate Pied Piper to go up the inner rounding the home turn.
State Man and Paul Townend had the move covered, though, as they were right upsides Fils d'Oudairies and went on over a quarter of a mile out.
State Man, the 1/6 favourite, really put his head down and asserted before the last. He quickened right away on the run-in to beat his stablemate, a keeping-on Echoes In Rain by five lengths.
Townend said: "He's very good.
"I suppose we weren't sure if Sam (Ewing on Fils d'Oudairies) was going to go (from the front) or not beforehand, but the privilege of riding this lad is that is doesn't really matter - he can go from the front or behind.
"He quickened up smartly down the straight.
"There's never much of a conversation at the start of a big race like that. I was never great at Chess but we kind of had an idea what might happen.
"It was grand to get a lead on this lad actually because he put his eye in on the first couple of hurdles whereas when he is dawdling away in front, he can actually go down and bunny hop them a little bit."
When asked could he see Sam moving off and letting Jack (Kennedy on Pied Piper) go up, he replied: "I could, but we were quickening, I suppose, at the time as well, so I didn't want to leave my race there by committing up in front of Sam. I was far enough up there that Sam had to ride into the side of me to open the gap for Jack.
"I had a little peep leaving the back straight and saw where Jack was, I had a fair idea what was coming and what they had in their minds.
"It is easy to cover it when you are on the best horse!
"He is so chilled out - he runs in the earplugs and he is winning with them so we haven't taken them out. I don't know if he needs them or not but why change it?"
Willie Mullins added: “Paul was much happier getting down off him this year than he was last year, so maybe there is a bit of improvement there for this season.
“I thought he’d won turning for home and I was surprised when there was a bit of a shemozzle and I got a bit of a fright for a couple of seconds but was happy enough then.
“Impaire Et Passe will go to Fairyhouse next weekend and we’ll try and keep them apart for as long as we can. They all have to get there in March, so we’ll concentrate on the domestic scene for the moment.”
This brought up a treble for Mullins and Townend who also struck with Predators Gold (4/7f) and Gaelic Warrior (4/11f).
Paddy Power trimmed State Man from 7/1 to 6/1 for the Champion Hurdle.
The Raceday Stewards enquired into an incident rounding the turn for home involving Fils D'oudairies (FR), ridden by Sam Ewing, placed third, Pied Piper (GB), ridden by J.W. Kennedy, placed fourth, and State Man (FR), ridden by P. Townend, placed first, where it appeared Fil's D'oudairies ran short of room. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Sam Ewing stated that his mount drifted off the rails turning in. J. W. Kennedy stated that the horse in front drifted off the rail momentarily and he had the horse to fill the gap. P. Townend stated that he was pushed off his racing line turning for home. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards were satisfied that the incident was caused by Fils D'oudairies coming off his racing line and that S. Ewing was in breach of Rule 226, in that he had made a manoeuvre during the race with the apparent intention of advantaging another runner trained by the same trainer. Having considered his record in this regard the Raceday Stewards suspended S. Ewing for five racedays.
P. Townend, rider of State Man (FR), trained by W.P. Mullins, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount suffered interference turning in.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
