Boodles Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

THEY say respect is earned, not given, and after putting his rivals to the sword and winning his third consecutive Boodles Champion Hurdle, there can be no arguing that State Man is now absolutely deserving of his elite two-mile hurdling billing.

Racehorses are made for racing, and the apple of Paul Townend’s eye has turned up consistently for years and delivered for Joe and Marie Donnelly. This success was what he’s all about, doing his job with the utmost professionalism in a race where his main rival, the much talked about Constitution Hill, couldn’t. He ran considerably below form and was beaten just over 27 lengths in fifth of six runners. Constitution Hill was later found to have sustained some leg bruising, on veterinary examination.

Nevertheless, it is now 12 Grade 1s for State Man, one of the most admirable hurdlers Willie Mullins has ever trained, and perhaps no track brings the best out of him like Punchestown. State Man probably jumped better than he ever has in his career, which can’t be said for Constitution Hill, who jumped a little awkward at times and never picked up to any degree when it mattered.

Townend was positive on the 9/4 shot and effectively had the race in the bag turning in. A booming, record-breaking crowd of 42,138 (up from 36,620 in 2024) gave the unlucky Cheltenham faller the ovation he deserved once landing over the last, as his Cotswolds conqueror Golden Ace showed great grit to stay on for second over Kargese.

Speaking after the dominant four-and-three-quarter-length triumph, an elated Townend said: “I’m really, really happy for the horse. I love him, and I suppose I’ve been getting a different feel to what visually he looks like all along. And I knew that [performance] was in there, and he was never really flashy.”