State imperious as Mullins completes Grade One clean sweep

State Man proved a different class to his rivals as he strode majestically clear in the closing stages to record back-to-back victories in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, completing a clean sweep of the Grade Ones at the Dublin Racing Festival for Willie Mullins.

The Doctor Dino gelding went to post a 2/5 shot in the €200,000 contest and the result never looked in doubt as he recorded an eighth top level success.

Stablemate Impaire Et Passe took them along in the two-miler but looked a rather reluctant front-runner and tended to jump out to his right.

Paul Townend, completing a treble for himself this afternoon, sent the hotpot into the lead early in the straight and it was plain sailing from there.

He asked his mount to quicken away bypassing the final flight and he soon settled matters, going on to record a cosy five-and-a-half length win over Bob Olinger

🟡⚫️ State Man - Irish Champion Hurdle hero again @LeopardstownRC

🏇 13 runs
🥇 10 wins
🏆🏆 G1 Irish Champion Hurdle
🏆🏆 G1 Matheson Hurdle
🏆🏆 G1 Morgiana Hurdle
🏆 G1 Punchestown Champion Hurdle
🏆 G1 Punchestown Novice Hurdle
📅 Constitution Hill awaits in March pic.twitter.com/cOjIPpCwAm

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 4, 2024

“It's been a superb weekend for the team. I'm delighted for my owners and my staff,” said Mullins.

“It's extraordinary, everything has come together. We have tremendous owners that invest in Irish racing and they love it.

“It's tremendous to have people like that bringing in money from abroad to put into Irish racing. We're the beneficiaries and we're very lucky.

“He's a lovely racehorse. Himself and Galopin Des Champs, Fact To File and El Fabiolo have beautiful temperaments and that's what you need, it's half the battle in a horse.

“It means the trainer can train them the way he wants to and the jockey can ride them the way he wants to. It makes life a lot easier for people involved.

“I thought Christmas was his best performance up until today. Today's race was different, we tried something different with Impaire Et Passe but he obviously didn't enjoy being out in front.

“I think he'll take a lead and maybe he needs another half mile, obviously he needs fences down the road. It was an experiment to go down the Champion Hurdle road this year and it doesn't look like it's working.

“The Champion Hurdle is there though and I think there are only two horses in front of him for me. Anyone of those can get injured or run bad on the day, if you are not in you can't win it.

“Everyone will put their tuppence worth in and we'll see what happens.”

On State Man's clash with Constitution Hill he added:- “State Man is going to go there in tip-top order and it's all to play for.

“I'm sure they're not to worried and they're going to be confident enough that they have enough in the locker to beat us no matter what we do.

“I don't think there will be too many runners in it and a change of tactics might make all the difference.”

Townend told RTE:- “He's deadly, he's cool. I love him, he's so uncomplicated.

“Daryl (Jacob) tried something different today, which we thought he might because it didn't work the last day so why not try something different.

“I was secretly happy that he did try something different. Daryl was going right but he didn't bother this lad.

“I was kind of banking a little bit on Daryl going right at the second last and it was the straightest he jumped but I was able to sit in there.

“I couldn't see if we were jumping the last or not, they told us it might be out and we came around.

“With the long run I was in front early enough but it doesn't matter to this lad, he stays.

“He's shown his superiority and the faster he goes the better he jumps, in my book.

"I was lucky enough to ride Hurricane Fly, he doesn't jump quite like him — he was accurate. In Hurricane Fly's earlier days he jumped a little big until he got down and racing and I think the faster he goes the better he jumps as well.”

When asked to compare him to Lossiemouth he added:- “Lossiemouth was very very good in Cheltenham last week but we'd probably have been disappointed if we didn't win against the opposition, maybe they just haven't been running up to scratch.

“For her first run she's very exciting but in my book this lad sets the standard behind Constitution Hill.”

Henry de Bromhead was delighted with the run of Bob Olinger:-

“We were delighted with how he ran. I had a little dream for a second when he looked up turning in, but State Man is such a good horse.

“I’d say we’ll aim for Aintree now with him.”

Betfair left the winner unchanged at 7/2 for the Champion Hurdle, behind Constitution Hill at 1/3.

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)