State Man emulates greats with Irish Champion Hurdle treble
Paul Townend and Willie Mullins completed a successful Dublin Racing Festival in style
Sunday, 02 February 2025
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Paul Townend with State Man after his Irish Champion Hurdle triumph
State Man (5/4) emulated Istabraq, Hurricane Fly and Honeysuckle by sauntering to a third consecutive victory in a dramatic renewal of the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle, the highlight of Day 2 of the resoundingly successful Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
It was an 11th Grade 1 triumph for the gelding owned by Marie Donnelly, who had the bonus of also seeing Daddy Long Legs come home strongly to be second, six and a half lengths behind the easy winner.
Winter Fog was a further nine lengths away in third, meaning that trainer Willie Mullins was matching his feat in yesterday’s Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup of saddling the first three home in the feature contest.
It was a third winner of the day for Mullins, all at elite level. With the Jody Townend-ridden Bambino Fever (9/1) sprinting clear in the concluding Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares’ INH Flat Race, that made it four and brought his tally for the weekend to seven.
Townend’s older brother, Paul was on board State Man and that made it a treble on the day for him, with five winners in total at DRF.
The Susannah Ricci-owned mare, coming into this off a staying-on runner-up finish behind Constitution Hill at Kempton over Christmas, was the punters’ fancy despite Townend keeping faith with State Man, who had underperformed considerably in the Neville’s Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown the same week.
The complexion of the race changed completely as Lossiemouth failed to lift her front legs and took a very heavy fall at the fourth-last obstacle.
For a split-second, it looked as if State Man might be brought down, as he was keeping very close tabs on the mare but he managed to avoid calamity and it was a canter from that point to the finishing post.
“I let both jockeys do whatever they wanted,” revealed Mullins. “No instructions. Ride their own race, ride their own horse and it was setting it up to be a hell of a race I’d say.
“Danny said to me he was going to be good and forward but I knew Paul wouldn’t be letting him away. It would have suited Paul to be getting a lead.
“It’s just disappointing for Rich (Ricci), it’s disappointing for the public, it’s disappointing for us all not to see what the final outcome was.
“Both horses were going well and I was happy. I didn’t see what had happened but I thought Danny looked sore. It is (uncharacteristic of her). Just one of those things.
“I was happy State Man was back to himself but it’s hard to know. I’ve always said that about State Man, we don’t know how good he us because he only does whatever he has to do.
There had been no doubt about which horse his number would choose.
“Paul never wavered. There was never any question (about what he would ride).
“(Lossiemouth) had been running over two and a half miles and her previous race at Fairyhouse was run at four-mile pace. She is bred to be faster than State Man. We know she has stamina but she was caught at Kempton because she wasn’t used to it. It’s the way we had been teaching her.
“I haven’t spoken to Rich and obviously he’ll be very disappointed. Our plan has always been to go for the Champion Hurdle. Unless they have a change of heart, I’m happy that she would still go to the Champion Hurdle.”
Townend was exhaling with relief when interviewed afterwards.
“I was very, very lucky not to be brought down,” the Corkman explained. “I was right on top of her. We were going a gallop. He felt better in himself today. Who knows what would have happened but he can only do what he can do.
“Hopefully Danny and the mare are okay. But fair play to State Man, you have to jump them. Not every horse has 11 Grade 1s.”
Ballyburn (8/13f) got back to winning ways for the senior Mullins-Townend pairing after finding the alacrity of foot and jumping of Sir Gino over two miles too much by landing the spoils in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase over 2m5f by five lengths from dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser, Croke Park.
And the duo look to have a potential superstar on their hands, after Kopek Des Bordes sauntered home in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle by 13 lengths from stablemate, Karniquet.
Prior to Lossiemouth’s misfortune, Danny Mullins had been enjoying a wonderful day, starting with what was the first leg of a double for him and his cousin Emmet, as Vischio (8/1) provided them with an emotional triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares’ Handicap.
The younger Mullins excelled in the saddle subsequently, as Solness (6/1) made it two Grade 1s in a couple of months with a pillar-to-post victory in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase for Bronsan Racing and trainer Joseph O’Brien, with Marine Nationale running a cracker in second and 6/4 favourite Gaelic Warrior a remote third.
“He probably proved that he was capable of the top table with his Navan run (when a neck second to Found A Fifty). Then he went to the Tingle Creek and what was learned from that was executed brilliantly by JJ (Slevin) the last day. All I had to do was back it up today.
“He’s a top horse and deserves his credit. All the way down the back, two-mile chases in Leopardstown — that’s the buzz a jockey wants and what a buzz I got off Solness here.
“I couldn’t hear fences flicking behind me and I was able, around the fourth-last, to fill up a little bit but then I wanted to keep pressing on when I had the lads sucked into a battle.
“I could hear a horse, I didn’t know what it was, Marine Nationale, a great run from him, coming for me off the bend but to be fair, my lad was tough. Not many can maintain that in Leopardstown and he did.
“I had a willing partner and on a big weekend like this it’s great to be riding the big winners.”
Handicap debutant McLaurey (3/1f) secured the double for Emmet Mullins, swooping late under Mark Walsh to score in the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle. It was a third winner of the festival for Walsh and for owner, JP McManus.
Gavin Cromwell also brought his tally to three after his Day 1 double, when saddling Backtonormal (11/4f) to land the odds in the Grade 3 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase, with Conor Stone-Walsh doing the steering.
It was an 11th Grade 1 triumph for the gelding owned by Marie Donnelly, who had the bonus of also seeing Daddy Long Legs come home strongly to be second, six and a half lengths behind the easy winner.
Winter Fog was a further nine lengths away in third, meaning that trainer Willie Mullins was matching his feat in yesterday’s Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup of saddling the first three home in the feature contest.
It was a third winner of the day for Mullins, all at elite level. With the Jody Townend-ridden Bambino Fever (9/1) sprinting clear in the concluding Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares’ INH Flat Race, that made it four and brought his tally for the weekend to seven.
Townend’s older brother, Paul was on board State Man and that made it a treble on the day for him, with five winners in total at DRF.
The Irish Champion Hurdle had been shaping up to be a thrilling contest, as Danny Mullins, chasing a third success on the card, made the running on 8/11 favourite Lossiemouth and the front two put daylight between themselves and the rest very quickly.
The Susannah Ricci-owned mare, coming into this off a staying-on runner-up finish behind Constitution Hill at Kempton over Christmas, was the punters’ fancy despite Townend keeping faith with State Man, who had underperformed considerably in the Neville’s Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown the same week.
The complexion of the race changed completely as Lossiemouth failed to lift her front legs and took a very heavy fall at the fourth-last obstacle.
For a split-second, it looked as if State Man might be brought down, as he was keeping very close tabs on the mare but he managed to avoid calamity and it was a canter from that point to the finishing post.
“I let both jockeys do whatever they wanted,” revealed Mullins. “No instructions. Ride their own race, ride their own horse and it was setting it up to be a hell of a race I’d say.
“Danny said to me he was going to be good and forward but I knew Paul wouldn’t be letting him away. It would have suited Paul to be getting a lead.
“It’s just disappointing for Rich (Ricci), it’s disappointing for the public, it’s disappointing for us all not to see what the final outcome was.
“Both horses were going well and I was happy. I didn’t see what had happened but I thought Danny looked sore. It is (uncharacteristic of her). Just one of those things.
“I was happy State Man was back to himself but it’s hard to know. I’ve always said that about State Man, we don’t know how good he us because he only does whatever he has to do.
There had been no doubt about which horse his number would choose.
“Paul never wavered. There was never any question (about what he would ride).
“(Lossiemouth) had been running over two and a half miles and her previous race at Fairyhouse was run at four-mile pace. She is bred to be faster than State Man. We know she has stamina but she was caught at Kempton because she wasn’t used to it. It’s the way we had been teaching her.
“I haven’t spoken to Rich and obviously he’ll be very disappointed. Our plan has always been to go for the Champion Hurdle. Unless they have a change of heart, I’m happy that she would still go to the Champion Hurdle.”
Townend was exhaling with relief when interviewed afterwards.
“I was very, very lucky not to be brought down,” the Corkman explained. “I was right on top of her. We were going a gallop. He felt better in himself today. Who knows what would have happened but he can only do what he can do.
“Hopefully Danny and the mare are okay. But fair play to State Man, you have to jump them. Not every horse has 11 Grade 1s.”
Ballyburn (8/13f) got back to winning ways for the senior Mullins-Townend pairing after finding the alacrity of foot and jumping of Sir Gino over two miles too much by landing the spoils in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase over 2m5f by five lengths from dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser, Croke Park.
And the duo look to have a potential superstar on their hands, after Kopek Des Bordes sauntered home in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle by 13 lengths from stablemate, Karniquet.
Prior to Lossiemouth’s misfortune, Danny Mullins had been enjoying a wonderful day, starting with what was the first leg of a double for him and his cousin Emmet, as Vischio (8/1) provided them with an emotional triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares’ Handicap.
The younger Mullins excelled in the saddle subsequently, as Solness (6/1) made it two Grade 1s in a couple of months with a pillar-to-post victory in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase for Bronsan Racing and trainer Joseph O’Brien, with Marine Nationale running a cracker in second and 6/4 favourite Gaelic Warrior a remote third.
“He’s been a great horse and the credit has to go to Joseph,” the man in the saddle stated. “The owners believe in him, Bronsan Racing are having a great time but Joseph went to every dance with this fella.
“He probably proved that he was capable of the top table with his Navan run (when a neck second to Found A Fifty). Then he went to the Tingle Creek and what was learned from that was executed brilliantly by JJ (Slevin) the last day. All I had to do was back it up today.
“He’s a top horse and deserves his credit. All the way down the back, two-mile chases in Leopardstown — that’s the buzz a jockey wants and what a buzz I got off Solness here.
“I couldn’t hear fences flicking behind me and I was able, around the fourth-last, to fill up a little bit but then I wanted to keep pressing on when I had the lads sucked into a battle.
“I could hear a horse, I didn’t know what it was, Marine Nationale, a great run from him, coming for me off the bend but to be fair, my lad was tough. Not many can maintain that in Leopardstown and he did.
“I had a willing partner and on a big weekend like this it’s great to be riding the big winners.”
Handicap debutant McLaurey (3/1f) secured the double for Emmet Mullins, swooping late under Mark Walsh to score in the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle. It was a third winner of the festival for Walsh and for owner, JP McManus.
Gavin Cromwell also brought his tally to three after his Day 1 double, when saddling Backtonormal (11/4f) to land the odds in the Grade 3 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase, with Conor Stone-Walsh doing the steering.