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 St Stephen's 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 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.
Owner Marie Donnelly and trainer Willie Mullins react to the win of State Man in the Matheson Hurdle, with the son of Doctor Dino set to tackle the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival before a clash with the monster that is Constitution Hill at Cheltenham. pic.twitter.com/Ykwyt2eos7
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 29, 2022
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."
Willie Mullins' Gaillard Du Mesnil (5-6F) wins an incident-packed renewal of the Grade One Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown under Paul Townend. pic.twitter.com/e6GHBbNS6m
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 29, 2022
Gaillard Du Mesnil (5-6F) finally enjoyed his day in the sun over fences with a facile victory in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase.
Although winless in six previous outings over the larger obstacles, the dual Grade One-winning hurdler had never finished out of the first three and has been placed three times at the highest level.
With his Drinmore conqueror Mighty Potter a non-runner, Gaillard Du Mesnil was favourite to open his chasing account and ultimately did so in fine style in a race marred by fatal injuries suffered by both Unexpected Depth and Three Stripe Life.
Amirite also unseated Rachael Blackmore, but Gaillard Du Mesnil managed to keep himself out of trouble under a patient ride before pulling seven and a half lengths clear of Churchstonewarrior to provide Mullins and Townend with yet another Grade One success this week.
"He had the experience and he had the rating. He was still a maiden, but we had kept him to good class company all the time and he got his experience against that type of company," said Mullins.
"Paul said he just flew fences down the back for him. They went very fast and he was even taken off it a bit early on.
"He just glided into the race down the outside, kept out of trouble and kept away from the loose horse (Amirite) the best he could. He just kept jumping and landed in front.
"He deserved a crack at two and a half (miles) last time, though it was a little bit short for him. He probably learned a lot going that pace."
Shewearsitwell (15-8) provided Mullins with a sixth victory in the last seven runnings of the BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle.
Two subsequent Cheltenham Festival heroines in Let's Dance and Concertista are among the champion trainer's recent winners of the Grade Three contest and Shewearsitwell was actually sent off favourite for last year's renewal, but suffered a nasty fall at the fourth flight.
With her confidence seemingly dented, results since have been mixed - but she got back on the winning trail in a Pertemps qualifier at Punchestown last month.
The six-runner contest looked a match on paper and that was the way it transpired, with favourite Queens Brook leading Shewearsitwell into the home straight.
But it was soon clear that the Mullins runner had more to give in the hands of Townend and she picked up well passing the dolled off final obstacle to seal a four-and-a-half-length verdict.
James Fenton of the Closutton Racing Club remembers the late Denis Barry after Shewearsitwell scores at Leopardstown. pic.twitter.com/zDZVlZjbzL
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 29, 2022
Mullins said: "It was very good, she wasn't very brave over her hurdles so I was very happy the last hurdle was taken out twice.
"I thought going down the back she wasn't going to race much but once Paul got after her, she just kicked into gear. She improved and enjoyed herself then.
"Paul said they went a right good gallop and he was at his best just trying to keep her in touch with the race.
"She was losing a half-length here and there at her hurdles which wasn't good for her, but she eventually got it right and when it came to staying she outstayed the rest of them."
Barry Connell will consider a return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival with Good Land (9-2) following a thoroughly impressive display in the Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle.
The owner-trainer has already unearthed one Grade One-winning novice hurdler this season in the form of Royal Bond hero Marine Nationale.
But while that exciting youngster is being kept fresh for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Good Land will be given more experience – potentially at Grade One level.
The Wexford bumper winner got no further than the first flight on his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, but bounced back in some style under 5lb claimer Michael O’Sullivan as he pulled eight lengths clear of Tag Man.
"We’ve hit the bar here before and I actually never rode a winner here, so that’s brilliant – everyone wants to have a winner at Leopardstown at Christmas," said Connell.
"We brought three here, the first two we fancied and they ran well but this guy was the banker of the week. He’s gone in and we’re thrilled.
"He’s all stamina so I knew two and a half miles today, up the hill, would be right up his street.
"He went at the first (in Fairyhouse) and it can happen any novice. He was a little careful, screwed and pitched on landing. He’s a good jumper, you can see there today.
"I don’t know how strong the race was, but he couldn’t have been any more impressive."
Considering future plans, he added: "I thought coming into today we might be looking at something like the Michael Purcell, which is a Grade Three in Thurles, but I’m going to make an entry for the two-mile-six Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival. On the back of that he’s entitled to an entry.
"This horse is obviously more of a stayer than Marine Nationale, who is very quick. He’d be able to work with the other horse, but he wouldn’t be as quick as him."
Seddon (7-2F) continued his resurgence with a runaway success in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase.
Placed in Graded company over hurdles a few years ago, results have been mixed for the nine-year-old since, but he appears to have found a new lease of life since joining John McConnell.
With amateur rider Ben Harvey on board, the Stowaway gelding moved into a clear lead a long way from home, jumped accurately and never really looked like being reeled in – ultimately coming home 13 lengths clear of nearest pursuer Archies Charm.
McConnell said: "It’s all down to the lads in the syndicate that wanted to run because I was getting very watery about the ground. It seemed to make no difference to him.
"He jumped great, Ben was always happy that he was going the right pace and it’s great to have a guy with a brain and a clock in his head. I was never worried he was going too fast because Ben is such a good rider.
"On his handicap mark, compared to his hurdle mark, he was entitled to run very well. When he won in Cheltenham, this was always the plan to come here. We thought we’d get nice ground here and then it started to rain. We got a little bit worried but what a horse.
"Mr handicapper is going to have his say now! He’s going to get into the hurdle race in Cheltenham off the mark he’s on now and probably the chase as well, so we can do what we want and he doesn’t owe us anything now."
The concluding bumper went the way of the newcomer Fascile Mode (16-1), trained by Tom Mullins.
He said: "He did a blinding bit of work a week ago. He was always a nice horse and he ticks all the boxes – he’s a nice horse and he has the pedigree.
"When he did a nice bit of work we said we’d take a chance here. We were going to run Monday but Charlie (Mullins, trainer’s son) was injured so we came here instead.
"Charlie is cool, he’s only 18 but he’s a very good rider.
