Townend confident State Man can shine again in Irish Champion

Paul Townend is looking forward to being reunited with the “exceptional” State Man in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Since falling on his Irish debut over two years ago, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old has won nine of his 10 starts, his only defeat coming at the hands of Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.

On his most recent outing, he readily accounted for a high-class stablemate in Impaire Et Passe when winning his second successive Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.

Townend guided the latter, who is set to be in opposition again this weekend, to four successive victories last season, but he insists the decision to side with State Man was straightforward.

“I love him, he’s been very, very good to me. Bar the one day we fell in a maiden hurdle in Leopardstown, he’s been exceptional,” said the Irish champion jockey.

“I just found it very hard to desert State Man (at Christmas) – I thought it would be a lot worse standing in the number two spot looking at State Man winning than standing in the number two spot looking at Impaire Et Passe.

“He duly obliged and he’s just such a straightforward horse and a class horse to be involved with.

“Bar Constitution Hill, he’s the best around, I think.”

State Man will be long odds-on to bag his second Irish Champion Hurdle on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, having dethroned Honeysuckle with an all-the-way victory 12 months ago.

As well as Impaire Et Passe, Mullins could saddle Matheson Hurdle third Echoes In Rain, while Henry de Bromhead will be hoping Bob Olinger can continue his resurgence following an impressive display in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Gordon Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies, last of four in the Matheson Hurdle, completes the potential field.