LAST UPDATE | 28 Apr 2023
STATE MAN JUSTIFIED odds-on favouritism with consummate ease in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Willie Mullins-trained gelding had won four Grade Ones in succession before having his colours lowered by Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
But without Nicky Henderson’s star to contend with, Paul Townend’s mount was backed as if defeat was out of the question and those who took the restrictive odds of 2-5 never had a moment’s concern.
Townend was happy to lob along in front with stablemate Vauban saving ground to his inside and Pied Piper on his left flank.
However, State Man was asked to stretch three out, and whipping round the final turn, he took two lengths out of his rivals and had the race won approaching the last.
Although he got in a little tight, the six-year-old steadied himself and drew clear to score by three lengths from Vauban. There was plenty of daylight back to the staying-on Colonel Mustard.
State Man's Champion Hurdle rivals had no answer once the 2/5 hot favourite cleared the last and headed for home. Another win for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins at #Punchestown pic.twitter.com/3QmdziIeaM
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 28, 2023
Townend said: “He has been beating these horses all year and, thankfully, he was able to do it again today.
“As I said when I made it in Leopardstown, I thought he would be better with a lead and probably a bit the same there.
“He just looks to be the best of that bunch – he just ran into a superstar in Cheltenham.”
Mullins said: “Paul said if nothing was going on he’d make his own running and keep it simple.
“He just missed the last, but Paul said with where he would have had to stand off he just let him fiddle it instead. That’s what you want in a hurdler when they are too far back, to go in and fiddle it.
“He’s done enough for the season. We’ll freshen him up now and get him back to do the same things next season, I hope.
“I can’t really see him going over fences, I’d say he’ll be a hurdle horse. I don’t know whether I need to go out in trip with him.
“He’s a horse that still has improvement in him.”
On his run at Cheltenham, the Closutton trainer said: “Constitution Hill was just brilliant so we were happy to be second and he’s going to be hard to beat.”
When it was put to him about the change of tactics today, he added: “I’m not sure we wanted to make the running for Constitution Hill at Cheltenham. If we did that and got beaten we would have said we should have done something different.
“We did what we did and I was happy. Maybe if the opportunity happens next time we might do that. He’s well able to do it from the front and I think he’s relaxing a lot more now which is a big help.”
Impaire Et Passe brought up treble for Willie Mullins&Paul Townend @punchestownrace. Mullins:“He didn't impress me at all, delighted he won, but throughout race he wasn't impressing me. Looked like he wasn't enjoying it&maybe Cheltenham took much more out of him than we thought."
— Irishracing.com Live (@IrishRacing365) April 28, 2023
Later, Impaire Et Passe showed a neat turn of foot and powered to victory in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle for further success for Townend and Mullins.
The five-year-old ran well within himself and Townend rode the Cheltenham’s Ballymore winner with supreme poise.
Send off a 1-3 favourite against just four rivals, he sat third throughout much of the extended two miles and three furlongs of the Grade One contest.
Though Impaire Et Passe made a novicey mistake six out, which saw him with plenty of ground to make up, Townend appeared to ooze confidence as stablemate Champ Kiely and the Joseph O’Brien-trained High Definition set the pace.
There was still plenty to do approaching two out and for a brief moment, High Definition and JJ Slevin looked set to cause a shock.
But Townend had plenty up his sleeve and the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding soon cruised upsides and went to the front on the bridle after being given a reminder that this was not simply a piece of work.
Jumping clear at the last, he stormed home to record a seven-and-a-half length success, with High Definition hanging on for second, despite stumbling when hitting the running rail after jumping the last.
Mullins was far from happy with the performance, however.
He said: “He didn’t impress me at all, I was delighted he won, but throughout the race he wasn’t impressing me.
“He looked like he wasn’t enjoying it and maybe Cheltenham took much more out of him than we thought.
“At home he was on fire and maybe I did too much with him, because he was going so well.
“It’s hard to say something went wrong when you win by seven and-a half lengths.
“Maybe he loves the hill in Cheltenham, he just got going up the hill, whereas today is a flat track. I’ll have a quick chat with Paul later on and see what he thought.
“Turning for home, I wouldn’t have backed him, so to win after that just means that he has a huge engine, but he wasn’t really in love with what he was doing today, whether it was the ground or what I don’t know.
“I think we’ll freshen him up now. I was thinking maybe of going to France but I won’t, I think I’ll just put him away.”
Townend echoed the sentiments, hinting his charge needed waking up.
He said: “It was not as straightforward as I was hoping. Maybe it was just because I was left on my own. I think everyone could see that I was never really happy throughout the race.”
