State Man and Ballyburn on target for Punchestown homecoming The State Man camp would not be surprised if different tactics are deployed on Irish Point in a bid to turn around the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle form but they believe their Grade 1 winning machine can add to his elite tally in the Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday. Five stand their ground in the €300,000 contest but the focus will be on the first two home in Cheltenham, where Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point justified the decision to drop him to two miles by getting to within one and a quarter lengths of State Man. A dual Grade 1 winner himself, Irish Point won the Christmas Hurdle over three miles on heavy ground at Leopardstown so would not be inconvenienced by a stamina test, albeit that the Willie Mullins-trained kingpin did bag the first of his nine Grade 1s at two and a half miles in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in 2022. In all, State Man has won four times at the Kildare track, securing two Morgiana Hurdles as well as cantering to success in the Boodles Champion Hurdle 12 months ago. “We’ve been really happy with State Man since Cheltenham,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant trainer to his father. “He’s obviously going to bid to follow up on last year’s victory and emulate Honeysuckle, who won the two editions before that. “Irish Point gave us a bit of a fright in Cheltenham so re-opposing with him is going to be interesting but we think that State Man can be better than he was in Cheltenham, although Irish Point might try different tactics. So it promises to be a fascinating clash. “Lossiemouth has been left in as insurance and it’s possible Sir Gerhard might turn out again as he didn’t have an awfully hard race when third in Sandown and there’s fantastic prize money up for grabs.” Colonel Mustard finished fifth at Cheltenham to pick up some good prize money and the enterprising Lorna Fowler leaves her Rahinston star among the five still in the mix for Friday’s feature. Ballyburn is one of the real talking horses of jumps racing at present after his facile triumph in the Gallagher at Cheltenham and he is the main attraction among the dozen acceptors in the Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle. “Willie has decided to keep Ballyburn at the intermediate distance,” Mullins Jnr declared. “He won at the festival last year when he beat Dancing City and Slade Steel, two Grade 1 winners. That was quite a strong bumper, ironically, as it wasn’t the Champion Bumper! “He should be very difficult to beat again. We’ve been delighted with him since Cheltenham and hopefully he can finish his season out on top. “Mirazur West could also turn up here. This season hasn’t been straightforward for him and he seems to be slightly better going right-handed but at this distance he would need to settle a lot more effectively than he has been. “Predators Gold was below par in Cheltenham but we do think he’s much better than that and he could be an interesting outsider. I would think he’s overpriced as an each-way option and he is a festival winner already, as he won the Goffs Defender Bumper last year.”
