Matheson Hurdle (Grade 1)

STATE Man might not be the standout two-mile hurdler in training given the inescapable presence of Constitution Hill, but few could argue with him being dubbed the most professional hurdler in training after passing his latest test in the Matheson Hurdle with flying colours.

With the exception of a defeat to Constitution Hill when second in last season’s Champion Hurdle, the unassuming Grade 1 galactico has only ever been beaten once in his career for Willie Mullins - that effort coming at this meeting when falling in a Christmas maiden hurdle in 2021.

Joe and Marie Donnelly’s star has more than banished that ghost of Christmas past in the two seasons that have followed, making it back-to-back wins in this race with a three-and-three-quarter-length success over his newest challenger Impaire Et Passe.

Many wondered if last season’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner would be the ultra-dependable six-year-old’s biggest threat this side of the Irish Sea, but his feathers were barely ruffled. It was a cosy victory as 4/7 favourite - continuing a theme of being sent off 11/10 or shorter in all his Grade 1 starts in Ireland, and winning all of them.

Improved performer

Mullins said: “He just keeps doing it, and that’s what I love about him. I think he’s improved since last year, and he’ll need to if he’s going to tackle [Constitution Hill] across the water, but I really like the way he did it today because Jack Kennedy set a searching pace [on rank outsider Fils D’oudairies], he eventually got to him, and then Impaire Et Passe was sitting in behind him.

“You’d think Impaire Et Passe could be a faster horse, but he quickened three times up that straight and that takes fair going in that ground. These testing conditions might really suit him, so we’ll be praying for rain, probably.

“State Man ran a great race last March. He finished second to Constitution Hill, a fantastic horse. We’ll be around to keep Constitution Hill straight but I don’t think Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley are going to be worried.

“We’re delighted to win, we’ll probably come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival and hopefully go on to March then. That’s the plan at the moment.”

’No excuses for Impaire’

Daryl Jacob accepted that he was on the second best horse on the day after his first ride on Impaire Et Passe in public.

“State Man basically had one gear too many for me,” said Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s retained rider.

“We quickened the whole way off the bend - we quickened at least three times - and I thought I had a chance going to the last. I jumped the last low and fast but you could see State Man finding an extra gear that I didn’t have unfortunately. There’s no excuse for us today, a better horse has beaten us.”

Would Mullins consider stepping Impaire Et Passe up to three miles straight away?

“He could - he’s bred to stay,” said the champion trainer.

“He won over two miles and five furlongs at Cheltenham last season. I don’t think it’d be a problem for him to do that.

“He’d be there or thereabouts around the final bend at Cheltenham in a Champion Hurdle, but who knows what’s going to happen between now and March? He’ll get an entry in the Champion Hurdle. We’ll keep all options open for the moment.”

State Man was trimmed to a general 4/1 (from 5/1) for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, while Impaire Et Passe is now as big as 14/1, having been closer to half those odds with most firms before the Matheson. The runner-up’s odds range from 7/1 to 14/1 for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.