Tag Archive for: Matheson Hurdle

State Man claims easy victory in Matheson Hurdle

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State Man continued his march towards a likely clash with Constitution Hill at the Cheltenham Festival in March with a comprehensive victory in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill is long odds-on to lift the Champion Hurdle crown in March following his latest demolition job in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

And while connections of the unbeaten five-year-old are unlikely to be quaking in their boots, State Man gave further evidence he may well prove his biggest threat with an authoritative display.

A well-backed winner of the County Hurdle in the Cotswolds last season and successful on his reappearance in last month’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, State Man lined up as one of three runners for Willie Mullins in the feature event on day four of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.

Sharjah, ridden by the champion trainer’s son Patrick, was bidding to better hurdling legends Istabraq and Hurricane Fly by winning a remarkable fifth successive Matheson Hurdle, and yet he was only third in the betting at 6-1 behind State Man at 4-6 and his Triumph Hurdle-winning stablemate Vauban at 11-4.

Rank outsider She Is Electric took the field along for much of the two-mile journey, but predictably folded before the home turn, at which stage Paul Townend allowed State Man to stride into the lead.

The strong-travelling Vauban travelled into his slipstream at the top of the straight, but State Man soon found another gear to pull four and a quarter lengths clear.

Connections of Vauban will doubtless take plenty of encouragement from what was his first outing of the season and first start outside of juvenile company, while Sharjah was not disgraced in third.

State Man is unchanged at 4-1 with Coral for the Champion Hurdle, who make Constitution Hill their 2-7 favourite. Vauban, meanwhile, is a 10-1 shot.

State Man after winning the Matheson Hurdle
State Man after winning the Matheson Hurdle (Gary Carson/PA)

State Man could now take on dual Champion Hurdle and three-time Irish Champion Hurdle-winning mare Honeysuckle in the latter contest at February’s Dublin Racing Festival.

Mullins said: “State Man just keeps improving and I think there is more improvement again after today.

“We were discussing where he goes next and the Dublin Racing Festival looks like the plan now.

“Hopefully we don’t get any setbacks, the horses have been coming out of Leopardstown well over the last few days, and we’ll look forward to that and then maybe going over to Cheltenham in March.”

When asked if he thought State Man could give Constitution Hill a race, he added: “We all have to turn up and we’ll hope for the best. We’re improving all the time.”

The Closutton handler was also pleased with the performances of the placed horses, saying: “It was a cracker of a run from Vauban, having his first run back. He’s only a four-year-old and people tend to forget that.

“I was very pleased with that. He’ll probably have another run and then we’ll see if he’s good enough to go to Cheltenham. On today’s run I’m very happy that he’s progressed and is coming along nicely.

“He travelled very sweet, all the rest of the horses had runs. For his first run in championship company against older horses, I thought it was excellent. He’s way ahead of where I thought he was.

“Sharjah threw his chance away when he made the mistake at the second hurdle. I thought anything could happen with Sharjah as he loves this track, but the mistake put him out of the race and Patrick said he just wasn’t the same after that – you can’t do that in championship racing and get away with it.”

Sharjah bids for record-breaking fifth Matheson Hurdle title

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Patrick Mullins feels it is a testament to Sharjah’s constitution that he is bidding for a fifth successive victory in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Should he be successful, and it is by no means a given as he faces two very smart stablemates in State Man and Vauban, he will overtake Istabraq and Hurricane Fly as the most successful horse ever in the Grade One.

Despite being an amateur, Mullins has struck up an incredibly successful partnership with the nine-year-old, trained by his father, Willie, and a place in Irish racing history will be assured if he manages to come out on top once again.

While he may not appear to be the yard’s first string, one positive Sharjah fans can cling to is that for the first three of his wins in the race he was not, either.

“It is not often you get an opportunity to top Hurricane Fly and Istabraq, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Mullins.

“Leopardstown at Christmas, on the inside track, really suits him. It’s a quick track, it’s usually nice ground and he was even going to win his novice race at this meeting five years ago when he fell jumping a shadow.

“It’s incredible for a horse to be running at Grade One level for six years, very few horses do that, very few have the soundness – or the ability – to do that. It says a heck of a lot about his constitution.”

Sharjah was beaten by State Man on his return to action this term, with last season’s County Hurdle winner four lengths too good in last month’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.

Mullins admits it will be be hard to close the gap on his much younger stable companion.

“I was a little bit disappointed with him in the Morgiana, more that I had to come off the bridle to get by Saldier, but then I liked how he finished the race and he chased State Man to the line,” said the assistant trainer and jockey.

“I’ll need him to improve from that but I would hope that he will. I’ve four lengths and four years to find!

“It won’t be easy and we’ll be the underdog, but I’m looking forward to giving it a go.”

Vauban was far and away last year's leading juvenile
Vauban was far and away last year’s leading juvenile (Mike Egerton/PA)

In the same Susannah and Rich Ricci silks is last season’s Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban, who was not expected to run in the race.

“Vauban had the option of running against his own age at Limerick, but Willie decided he wants to find out where he lies with the big boys,” said Mullins.

Pied Piper, third to Vauban in the Triumph, runs for Gordon Elliott after two comfortable wins at Cheltenham and Down Royal this season.

Joey Logan, racing manager to Pied Piper’s owners Caldwell Construction Ltd, said: “He has to step up now and see where we are, but his work is very good at home and Gordon is very happy with him.

“This is going to tell us if he’s a Champion Hurdle horse or a Coral Cup horse or whatever. We’ll know more after this, that’s for sure.”

Norman Lee’s rank outsider She Is Electric completes the field.