Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile/Getty Images
State Man took his record in Grade 1 racing over hurdles to seven wins from eight starts with a comfortable success in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday and will be keen to add another record in the Irish Champion Hurdle in February. But he remains a 4-1 chance to avenge the only top-level defeat of his career - a nine-length thrashing against the exceptional Constitution Hill - when he returns to the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
It is one of the many measures of Constitution Hill's freakish talent that he dispatched an opponent of State Man's quality with such ease at last year's festival meeting. Impaire Et Passe, a stable companion at the Willie Mullins yard and the winner of last season's Ballymore Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham, was a new opponent for State Man in Friday's match but the odds-on favorite still brought the race always in danger. of steps on the way to the last flight.
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Several bookmakers subsequently reduced both Constitution Hill and State Man's price for the Champion Hurdle on 12 March, as a result of Impaire Et Passe's odds being pushed to around 14-1 (from 7-1). Constitution Hill is now priced at 4-11 at the top with William Hill, while State Man is available at 4-1 overall.
"State Man showed tremendous acceleration today," Mullins said. "Daryl [Jacob] came into Impaire Et Passe and said: 'We accelerated twice and then Paul [Townend, on State Man] left faster for the third time.'
"He had a great race last March and finished second behind Constitution Hill. Hopefully he will be around [at the Festival] to keep Constitution Hill straight, but I don't think so [his trainer and owner] Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley will be concerned."
It was another fine afternoon for Mullins at Leopardstown as he left with two more festival favorites after decisive wins for Ballyburn, at the first hurdle of the card, and Grangeclare West in the Grade One Neville Hotels Novice Chase.
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Ballyburn finished 25 lengths ahead of his field and was reduced to around 9-2 for the Ballymore Novice Hurdle on March 13. Grangeclare West, who cost almost £500,000 as a four-year-old after winning his only start in a point-to-point, is around 4-1 ahead of the three-mile Brown Advisory Novice Chase the following afternoon.
Grangeclare West was fourth favorite in a six-man field but achieved an easy success by six lengths. "I didn't expect that," Mullins said. "I thought he would run well, but that was a top race.
"Paul was worried he was going to pull too hard and he wanted to be as fit as he was because he just stuck his arms out for the five kilometers. To do that on that ground and win and go away like that was a huge achievement. His jump was excellent, he's just a natural fighter."
Henderson stable jockey Nico de Boinville is likely to face a short spell on the sidelines after suffering a suspected collarbone injury in a fall over hurdles at Doncaster on Friday.
James Bowen, the number 2 at the Henderson yard, will replace De Boinville on Saturday in two key runners for the Henderson yard at Newbury: Willmount, in the Grade One Challow Hurdle and Jeriko Du Reponet, the ante-post favorite for the Supreme Novice Hurdle in March, in the Introductory Hurdle earlier on the card.
Captain Teague is able to land Nicholl's fourth Challow in a row
Willmount made one of the most visually impressive hurdle debuts of the season so far when he went 13 lengths clear in a novice event in early November, but the second and third horses home have done little to advertise the form and he looks underpriced out around 7-4 to make a successful move up to Grade One Company in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
It is even debatable whether he really should be the clear favourite, like Paul Nicholls Captain Teague (3.00) was an impressive second-level winner on his first start over wood and the best horse at the weights when he next finished second under a 5lb penalty in a similar event at Cheltenham.
Nicholls has saddled the last three Challow winners, including subsequent top chasers Bravemansgame and Stage Star, and while it's still early days for Captain Teague, 100-30 is too big a price and could extend the stable's excellent recent record in this match.
Newbury 1.15 Venetia Williams' stable is still in strong form Martator showed more than enough last time out in second to a potentially very useful novice in terms of course and distance to suggest that a first victory since joining this yard was imminent.
Hay dock 1.25 The step towards a marathon journey could lead to significant improvements Collectible. Jonjo O'Neill's gelding found a second wind last time out in the closing stages over three miles at Sandown, has lost 1lb since then and certainly seems to be appreciating the extra half mile here.
Newbury 1.50 A switch was made to running forward, back over obstacles Buy a tonic returns to winning form over course and distance after an inauspicious chase debut and she still looks fairly handicapped at a higher figure of 8lb.
Newbury 12.05 Amelia's Dance 12.40 Jerido Du Reponet 1.15 Martator 1.50 Get A Tonic 2.25 Shanty Alley (nb) 3.00 Captain Teague (nap) 3.35 Passing Well
Haydock 12.15 Hill Of Tara 12.50 Norman Fletcher 1.25 Collectors Item, 2.00 Step up 2.35 Start at the front 3.10 Happy and nice 3.45 San Frandisco
Taunton 12.25 Mojo Ego 1.00 Centara 1.35 Hard Frost 2.10 Casa No Mento 2.45 Game Winner 3.20 Dindin 3.55 Individualist
Wolverhampton 3.40 Graffiti 4.15 Swinging Eddie 4.45 Verdansk 5.15 Light Up Our Stars 5.45 Starshiba 6.15 Ramon Di Loria 6.45 Ebury 7.15 Swing To The Stars
Taunton 2.10 It's hard to beat the market leaders, Queens Gamble and Casa No Mento, but the latter set a strong time when he finished 15 lengths clear at Hereford last time and that tips the balance in favor of Nigel Twiston-Davies' runner.
Newbury 2.25 Shanty Alley was largely below his best in five starts since finishing a close second in this race last season, but is 5lb lower in the weights this time and would have needed the run as he returns to action after a 202-day break last month.
Taunton 2.45 Jumping problems persisted Winner of the game This season he is back in two starts over fences and this return to hurdling seems like the right move for his current goal.
Newbury 3.35 Pass well has made a strong start to his hunting career and a 3lb increase seems more than reasonable after his defeat of Heva Rose - a winner both before and since - at Lingfield in November.
