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Irish Champion Hurdle Preview – State Man & Lossiemouth in Mouthwatering Debut Clash

The Irish Champion Hurdle is the final Grade 1 of the Dublin Racing Festival and promises a thrilling race in store. With two major names set to clash for the first time, Joe Napier previews a contest which could have significant bearing on the Cheltenham Festival.

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As he so often has in recent seasons, State Man proved a class above when winning at odds of 2/5 last year.

LOSSIEMOUTH

(Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins)

This will be the first time Lossiemouth is without the aid of Paul Townend since her debut for Willie Mullins as a juvenile. That Townend sticks by State Man is no surprise as it will mean significantly less were he to lose on the defending champion than on the usurper, who will no doubt be a stubborn challenger.

The grey met with only her second defeat over hurdles last time and has never been beaten as emphatically as State Man was over Christmas. She nevertheless looked below her best at Kempton behind Constitution Hill, though these could prove far calmer waters and she is doubtless the biggest danger State Man has faced in three runnings of this race.

STATE MAN

(Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)

Despite the faith of Paul Townend remaining with the defending champion, State Man is set to go off second favourite. The eight-year-old had won 12 of his 14 starts for Willie Mullins before this season, but is now 12 for 16 after Brighterdaysahead has convincingly had his measure the last twice.

It is a measure of his dominance that this may be the first time he starts at odds against in his homeland since the 2023 edition of this race. The Mullins camp have been adamant something was amiss during his 31-length defeat over Christmas in which even Winter Fog passed him up the run-in. If bouncing back to his best, he is still the one to beat even though Lossiemouth will test his mettle.

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THE FIELD

The 11-year-old Winter Fog can now claim to be one of just three horses in Britain and Ireland to have finished in front of State Man when his stablemate has completed a race. That owed to the stunning performance of Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown though, which broke State Man’s heart and a repeat of that effort will surely only get him third here.

The ground remains against the talented but inconsistent Daddy Long Legs, but he will likely ensure a Mullins 1-2-3-4 with Fils d’Oudairies now regularly outpointed by large margins at this level.

VERDICT

Paul Townend selecting STATE MAN over Lossiemouth is not the deciding factor in giving him the verdict, but the mare is yet to do enough to convince she should be the odds-on favourite as the second string on jockey bookings. This should be a good spectacle though, with little to choose between the top two and the selection’s basis is on established form rather than potential. Winter Fog can complete the frame.

  1. State Man
  2. Lossiemouth
  3. Winter Fog
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