Paddy Power Champion Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Punchestown 17:25 €300,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1  |
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1 State Man 2/5F
2 Vauban 100/30
3 Colonel Mustard 33/1
6 ran Distances: 3l, 6l, 5l
Time: 3m 58.90s (slow by 14.90s)
State Man dominates under @PTownend to win the @pphorseracing @punchestownrace Champion Hurdle for @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/D2edxdRWEJ https://t.co/rKwTyotVZe via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) April 28, 2023
Willie Mullins' State Man had to settle for a nine-length second behind the brilliant Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month but was sent off the rock-solid 2/5 favourite on the back of that display and his supports barely had a moment's worry.
Stablemate Vauban, the mount of Danny Mullins, latched onto the front-running market leader on the turn for home but State Man found plenty when asked to quicken and put the race to bed.
A slick jump at the last sealed the deal and he galloped on to score by three lengths, with Vauban second and the up in class Colonel Mustard a further six lengths back in third.
Townend said: “He has been beating these horses all year and, thankfully, he was able to do it again today.
“As I said when I made it in Leopardstown, I thought he would be better with a lead and probably a bit the same there.
“He just looks to be the best of that bunch – he just ran into a superstar in Cheltenham.”
Mullins said: “Paul said if nothing was going on he’d make his own running and keep it simple.
“He just missed the last, but Paul said with where he would have had to stand off he just let him fiddle it instead. That’s what you want in a hurdler when they are too far back, to go in and fiddle it.
“He’s done enough for the season. We’ll freshen him up now and get him back to do the same things next season, I hope.
“I can’t really see him going over fences, I’d say he’ll be a hurdle horse. I don’t know whether I need to go out in trip with him.
“He’s a horse that still has improvement in him.”
On his run at Cheltenham, the Closutton trainer said: “Constitution Hill was just brilliant so we were happy to be second and he’s going to be hard to beat.”
When it was put to him about the change of tactics today, he added: “I’m not sure we wanted to make the running for Constitution Hill at Cheltenham. If we did that and got beaten we would have said we should have done something different.
“We did what we did and I was happy. Maybe if the opportunity happens next time we might do that. He’s well able to do it from the front and I think he’s relaxing a lot more now which is a big help.”
Paddy Power Punchestown Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
€300,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Yielding, Good to Yielding in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 State Man 6 11-12 W P Mullins Paul Townend 2/5F
2 3 Vauban 5 11-12 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 100/30
3 6 Colonel Mustard 8 11-12 Mrs Lorna Fowler Kieren Buckley 33/1
4 5 Sharjah 10 11-12 W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins 14/1
5 2¾ Zanahiyr 6 11-12 Gordon Elliott Jordan Gainford 22/1
6 2¼ Pied Piper 5 11-12 Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh 22/1
PAST RESULTS
Year Horse Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2022 Honeysuckle 7 11-07 Kenneth Alexander Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 1/5F
2021 Honeysuckle 7 11-07 Kenneth Alexander Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 4/7F
2020 Abandoned - Covid-19
2019 Buveur D'Air 8-11-12 John P McManus Nicky Henderson Davy Russell 2/1J
2018 Supasundae 8-11-12 Wicklow B’stock (Ire) Ltd Mrs J Harrington RM Power 12/1
2017 Wicklow Brave 8-11-12 Wicklow B’stock (Ire) Ltd Willie Mullins Mr Patrick Mullins 12/1
2016 Vroum Vroum Mag 7-11-5 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 4/6 Fav
2015 Faugheen 7-11-12 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/6 Fav
2014 Jezki 6-11-12 J P McManus Jessica Harrington A P McCoy 4/5 Fav
2013 Hurricane Fly 9-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/4 Fav
2012 Hurricane Fly 8-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 4/11 Fav
2011 Hurricane Fly 7-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 1/2 Fav
2010 Hurricane Fly 6-11-12 George Creighton & Rose Boyd Willie Mullins Paul Townend 3/1
2009 Solwhit 5-11-12 Top Of The Hill Syndicate Charles Byrnes Davy Russell 2/1 Jt Fav
2008 Punjabi 5-11-12 Raymond Tooth Nicky Henderson GB Barry Geraghty 2/1
2007 Silent Oscar 8-11-12 Patrick Convery Harry Rogers Robbie Power 20/1
2006 Macs Joy 7-11-12 Mac’s J Racing Jessica Harrington Barry Geraghty 11/4
2005 Brave Inca 7-11-12 Novices Syndicate Colm Murphy A P McCoy 2/1
2004 Hardy Eustace 7-11-12 Lar Byrne Dessie Hughes Conor O’Dwyer 3/1
2003 Quazar 5-11-13 David Carr Jonjo O’Neill GB Tony Dobbin 7/2
2002 Davenport Milenium 6-11-12 Mrs Noel O’Callaghan Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh 11/2
*2001 Moscow Flyer 7-12-00 Brian Kearney Jessica Harrington Barry Geraghty 6/1
2000 Grimes 7-11-09 J P McManus Christy Roche Charlie Swan 6/1
1999 Istabraq 7-12-00 J P McManus Aidan O’Brien Charlie Swan 1/4 Fav
1998-96 No race
1995 Fortune And Fame 8-11-08 Michael Smurfit Dermot Weld Richard Dunwoody 4/7 Fav
1994 Fortune And Fame 7-11-08 Michael Smurfit Dermot Weld Brendan Sheridan 4/9 Fav
1993 Camden Buzz 5-11-05 Carmel Byrne Paddy Mullins Charlie Swan Evs Fav
* Run at Leopardstown
