Chanelle Pharma Irish

Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)

A significant threat to Constitution Hill emerged from the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday and though it wasn’t the one the vast majority of the near 17,000 crowd in Leopardstown craved, a great deal of credit is due to the victor State Man, now a triple Grade 1 winner in his first season in open company.

Willie Mullins’ six-year-old had looked good without looking spectacular in both the Morgiana Hurdle and Matheson Hurdle but there was a lot to admire about his efficiency in front here, and a crowd waiting to fully get behind Honeysuckle, never really got the encouragement it needed to fully erupt, which was testament to how comfortable the winner was.

He put in his best jumping performance yet in a pillar-to-post win that saw him with a near five-length advantage at the line. Honeysuckle was courageous in second and admirably held off the challenge of Vauban who finished well in third.

Mullins, winning this contest for the seventh time, admitted to being surprised when Paul Townend told him his intention to lead but that looked to have helped the winner, who jumped and travelled as well as he ever has this term.

“Paul didn’t see much to make the running so I said, ‘Okay, do that’ and it worked out,” Mullins said. “The horse is not used to being in front but he jumped well enough and Paul even thought he was a bit idle towards the end.

“A lot of people forget he won a County Hurdle, and to win there you have to jump well. I think when he has to, he’s well able to jump very quickly. He jumped like a Champion Hurdler all the way down the back.

“I think he is starting to get there (Champion Hurdle standard). He’s improving all the time. We’ll have to see what awaits us over there - Michael Buckley and Nicky Henderson have one I believe.”

While State Man made his way into a winners’ enclosure, Henry de Bromhead was surrounded by journalists after Honeysuckle had returned with Rachael Blackmore to the number two pole. The mare was clapped back in before a somewhat eerie silence came over the parade ring.

It’s hard to recall a larger collective will from a racecourse crowd for a horse to win a race. The support for Honeysuckle, Rachael Blackmore and perhaps most of all, the de Bromhead family, was Danoli-like. Prior to the race, they cheered Rachael as she got legged up and they cheered the pair as they made their way to the start.

It wasn’t to be but her trainer seemed as proud as ever with her efforts.

“I thought she ran really well, I’m delighted with the run and fair play to the winner,” de Bromhead said.

“I’d say she has probably run to a higher standard as she has done here in the past but I’ll leave that to the form gurus to work out - we were happy with her.

“The reaction from the crowd was incredible but they’ve always been massive fans of her.

“That’s National Hunt racing through and through.”

Mares

De Bromhead was non committal when asked if we’d see Honeysuckle again this season but later in the day her owner Kenny Alexander suggested the Mares Hurdle could be her target and that was confirmed by the camp on Monday afternoon.

She was installed favourite for that contest at around the 9/4 mark while State Man is a general 3/1 shot against Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle.

Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1)

BACK in December, when Mighty Potter and Jack Kennedy jumped the last in the Drinmore and maintained a five-length advantage over Gaillard Du Mesnil, Gordon Elliott was euphoric in the middle of the track, indeed running after the horse and jockey to see them home.

Elliott likes to be as close to the action as possible. He is the equivalent of the manager who kicks every ball. But there was no massive punching of the air as Andrew and Gemma Brown’s chaser accelerated away from the last in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown last Sunday, merely a puff of the cheeks and fist pump to close ally Mouse O’Ryan.

Job done, relief all round.

“I was nervous,” Elliott admitted back in the winners’ enclosure. “We were a little unlucky in the first (Liberty Dance) as she just got a little bit too far back. A few of our big shots didn’t run yesterday and he was our first big one. I think he’s a very good horse.”

He is alright. This was already his fourth Grade 1 win and he is now a general 6/4 favourite for the Turners Novices’ Chase in which Elliott confirmed he is “definitely going.”

Surprise

He was also giving Davy Russell his first Grade 1 in his surprise second stint in the saddle. Bar a mistake at the sixth fence, it was relatively straightforward for the Cork rider, whose popularity was evident on his return to the winners’ circle.

He allowed Mighty Potter to stride on into the lead at the second last and though the contest was still very much on at the last, with the five other runners, all trained by Willie Mullins, in close proximity, it was soon all over in a matter of strides with the seven-year-old finding another level to pull eight and a half lengths clear of Adamantly Chosen.

“I’d say he is settling better in his races now,” Elliott answered when asked if the horse had improved at home since Fairyhouse.

“You’d love the way he put his head down and galloped to the line.

“Jack (Kennedy) was full of confidence after the last day. We watched the race together and he was happy Davy let him roll on when he did because when you watch him, the further he goes, he just drops his head and gallops.

“He’ll definitely go for the Turners and hopefully Jack will be back to ride him.”

Adamantly Chosen, 40/1 here, was an admirable second in a Grade 1 again, having run well behind the winner’s stablemate Gerri Colombe in the Faugheen Novice Chase over Christmas.

The third Gaillard Du Mesnil had no answer to the winner’s turn of foot back over two miles and five furlongs, but can be excused over this two-mile-five-furlong trip while James Du Berlais was the biggest disappointment, finishing last of the six, though he deserves a second chance given this was his second run in relatively quick succession after a 612-day break.