Townend sticks with State Man for Lossiemouth clash

Willie Mullins insists State Man is still his “number one contender” in the two-mile division ahead of a blockbuster clash with stablemate Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

State Man won 12 of his first 13 completed starts for the champion trainer, his only defeat during that period coming at the hands of Constitution Hill in the 2023 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The eight-year-old has won two Irish Champion Hurdles, two Punchestown Champion Hurdles, two Morgiana Hurdles and two Matheson Hurdles – and in Constitution Hill’s absence claimed Champion Hurdle glory at the Cheltenham Festival last term.

But on Sunday he will return to Leopardstown on a recovery mission, having twice been beaten by Brighterdaysahead this season, most recently coming home 31 lengths adrift of Gordon Elliott’s superstar mare at the Foxrock track over Christmas.

For that reason, most bookmakers made Lossiemouth the hot favourite to claim Irish Champion Hurdle glory earlier this week following her runner-up finish to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton – but Paul Townend is interestingly keeping the faith in State Man and so is his trainer.

“He didn’t turn up, we were very disappointed,” Mullins said of his festive performance.

“It was very disappointing on all counts and I don’t know why, but hopefully we can get him back to himself. We’ll only know on the day but we’re happy with what he’s doing at home.

“The winner put in some performance, I’d be delighted to have her in the yard here. I was in the stands in awe of the performance she put in.

“Our horse disappointed at Christmas, but we always forgive a horse one bad run and he is our number one contender.”

Danny Mullins comes in for the ride on Lossiemouth, having steered the top-class grey to her first ever win on Irish soil at Fairyhouse in December 2022.

She never threatened to land a telling blow on Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle, but was only beaten two and a half lengths at the line and is expected to be sharper this weekend.

Speaking at a Dublin Racing Festival press morning last week, her trainer said: “Lossiemouth set off at about two-and-a-half or even three-mile pace and she did well to finish as close as she did.

“We’d been settling her all the time and she just couldn’t handle the pace because that is what we’d been teaching her. To me, the race was gone before she hit the first hurdle – she wasn’t competitive.

“I thought she ran well given what we’d been teaching her the last couple of years. We’ll sharpen her up at home and it will be different the next day.”

Mullins has two more strings to his bow in Daddy Long Legs (Sean O’Keeffe) and Winter Fog (Patrick Mullins), with the field completed by Gordon Elliott’s Fils d’Oudairies (Sam Ewing), who is set to turn out just eight days after finishing fourth behind Constitution Hill in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.