Irish Champion Hurdle Runners Guide: Mullins Dominates Showpiece

Sunday's big race is a clash of Closutton Champion Hurdle hopefuls with Lossiemouth the sexy newcomer and State Man the proven proposition colliding at Leopardstown. Paul Townend has made his choice, and in this runners guide we give our predicted 1-2-3...

1. Daddy Long Legs - Willie Mullins - Sean O'Keefe - 50/1

The expected pace angle in the race and surely outclassed on all known form, it's expected Daddy Long Legs will set strong fractions in here which should suit his more illustrious ownership mate State Man but will also one suspects be no inconvenience to another stablemate - albeit in different colours in Lossiemouth. He was once thought of very highly but has flattered to deceive more than he has run to his patent ability so while perhaps he will have some supporters in the without market, he looks merely to be a side character in this big clash.

2. Fils D'Oudairies - Gordon Elliott - Sam Ewing - 100/1

Poor Fils D'Oudairies is the only horse around who has the misfortune of being tasked with beating Constitution Hill (a task which he resoundingly, unsurprisingly failed last weekend) and then just eight days later is told to get back out there and beat State Man and Lossiemouth! He was fancied by some (including this humble scribe) to pick up the pieces last weekend at Cheltenham but ran pretty poorly all things said and it's impossible to see the sole non Mullins entrant having any impact whatsoever in here come the finish.

3. State Man - Willie Mullins - Paul Townend - 13/8

A huge show of loyalty from Paul Townend means the Closutton number one persists with his partnership with State Man despite being battered last time out by Brighterdaysahead over this C&D rather than staying on board Lossiemouth, who was also beaten by a star last time out in Constitution Hill but certainly showed more signs of life.

State Man is certainly a horse who has earned loyalty from all concerned with the horse, racking up a massively valuable streak of wins including last season's Champion Hurdles on both sides of the Irish Sea before his flop last time out, and any horse can be forgiven one off day. This is a huge test for the horse and could well prove if the fire still burns, last time was a blip or if he is starting a steady decline. Townend maintaining the partnership is a positive and with the defending champion currently second favourite, he is the one to back if you have to take a position.

4. Winter Fog - Willie Mullins - Patrick Mullins - 20/1

The horse that actually passed State Mam last time out and relegated him to an unthinkable third place was Winter Fog, and while he is as honest as the day is long it would be a surprise and a disappointment were he to uphold that form. He probably ran to his ability that day and was 30 lengths off Brighterdaysahead, so if this consistent sort runs roughly to form again it'll be interesting to see how far the big two can stretch away from him (albeit the ground and shape of the race will be different).

He rates the percentage play for third place but that is probably his ceiling, barring accident or flop for the big guns.

5. Lossiemouth - Willie Mullins - Danny Mullins - 4/6

The odds-on favourite at the time of writing, but unusually not the choice of a jockey who could've been on her back, Lossiemouth is on less of a retrieval mission than State Man, but it's a retrieval mission nonetheless. She never looked happy at Kempton behind Constitution Hill, whose cruising speed clearly took the mare off her feet early doors.

In the end, she only finished a few lengths back in second which is to her credit, although it's hard to know how much that is down to her plugging on and how much it is because Constitution Hill was taking a blow once he'd won his first race back for a year. Lossiemouth was rumoured to be all about speed before being put in her place by the mighty 2023 Champion Hurdler, so it'll be interesting if she can lay up with State Man and the others in here or if another defeat comes her way, will she be sent up in trip for the Mares' at Cheltenham?