Paddy Power Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

A CLEARCUT, three-length win in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle confirmed State Man is the standout senior two-mile hurdler in Ireland for the 2022/’23 season, proving his superiority over stablemate Vauban for the fourth time this term.

Joe and Marie Donnelly’s five-time Grade 1 winner never gave his supporters any real moments of concern, making all under Paul Townend and always pulling out enough to keep 100/30 shot Vauban at bay.

Colonel Mustard justified Lorna Fowler’s call to turn out just six days on from finishing second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle, collecting €30,000 for being beaten nine lengths in third here.

Townend said of the 2/5 favourite: “He’s been beating these horses all season and thankfully he was able to do it again today. He’d probably be better with a lead but just looks the best of the bunch. I thought Vauban was improving at home; they’ve been coming along together all year.

“I was probably as hard on State Man as I was all year so they probably are both progressing. He just ran into a superstar [in Consitution Hill] at Cheltenham.”

A nine-length defeat to Nicky Henderson’s outstanding talent in last month’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham was the sole loss in an otherwise blemish-free season for State Man.

Reflecting on the more patient tactics employed on that occasion, winning trainer Willie Mullins said: “We didn’t want to just make the running for Constitution Hill. If we did that and got beaten we could have looked back and felt we should have done differently. We did what we did and I was happy.

“I didn’t see much of a different result but you never know, if the opportunity happens next time we might [go forward]. He’s well able to do it from the front and is relaxing better now too, which is a big help. Constitution Hill was just brilliant and we were happy he finished second. He’s going to be hard to beat, isn’t he?”

On plans for next season, Mullins added: “We’ll freshen him up and get him back to do the same thing next season, I hope. I can’t see him going over fences. Paul kept it simple today. If nothing was going on, he said he’d make his own running and that was what happened. He’s clever in terms of his jumping, which is what you like to see over two miles.”

Runner-up Vauban is set for a return to the flat, having won his last two starts on the level in France before joining the Closutton maestro.

“I think there’s huge room for improvement with Vauban,” said Mullins.

“It was the safe thing to do to water the track last night but if they hadn’t I think it would have played to Vauban’s strengths. The better the ground, the better it suits him.

“Royal Ascot will be his next port of call. The handicap over a mile and six [the Copper Horse Handicap] is where I’m looking at for the moment. We always intended to go back to the flat and mix it with jumping.

“Hopefully there’s improvement in them both. I don’t know if I need to go out in trip with State Man but he’s still got progression in him.”