State Man ‘does what it says on the tin’
State Man spearheads an opening Willie Mullins treble and there’s an emotional success for Kim Bailey
Cheltenham Racecourse, Glos
TRAINING maestro Willie Mullins landed his 95th, 96th and 97th Festival winners on the opening day, sealing a remarkable hat-trick with Gaelic Warrior, uber-mare Lossiemouth and his fifth Unibet Champion Hurdle crown with State Man.
“There’s no wow factor with State Man, but he does what it says on the tin,” said the trainer of Marie Donnelly’s chestnut son of Doctor Dino. “But it’s hard to be wow on that ground. He’s a good, solid, sound horse and he’s hardy and tough and has oodles of stamina.”
As he set off up the Cheltenham hill, jockey Paul Townend’s poise was in stark contrast to the efforts being made by Jack Kennedy on the Gordon Elliott-trained Irish Point alongside him and the Mullins runner confidently dispelled his key rival.
“I was surprised Paul rode him so deep in the race, but he was happy and he had Irish Point where he wanted him,” revealed Mullins. “He’s riding with such confidence. It just shows that when jockeys are riding in the zone, they can make other things happen that they want to happen.”
When asked if he’d relish a clash with Constitution Hill – a late withdrawal from the race – Mullins said: “You’ve got to turn up to win a Champion Hurdle. We turned up.”
Townend, securing his first Champion Hurdle success and 30th Festival winner, added: “He’s an old favourite of mine and he deserves his day in the sun. I grew up watching the likes of [three-time winner] Istabraq, so to put my name on that list is special.”
As well as Gaelic Warrior in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy (see box, right), Mullins was back in the winner’s enclosure with Lossiemouth in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.
“With the rain coming, there was a question mark about her stamina, but I never really doubted it,” said Townend. “It was push-button stuff.”
The trainer underlined his decision to run in the Mares’ Hurdle as “the right one”.
“She won as comfortable as she liked and she’s only five – getting a grueller in the Champion Hurdle as a fiveyear-old mare isn’t what you should do with them,” he said.
The racecourse offered its condolences to connections of
the two horses who died on Tuesday. They were Highland Hunter, trained by Fergal O’Brien, and Ose Partir from Martin Brassil’s yard.