Exuberance greeted Galopin Des Champs’ Gold Cup victory at Saturday’s leg of the Dubin Racing Festival but 24 hours later the primary sound around Leopardstown was one of relief.
The much-anticipated match between the Willie Mullins-trained stable companions State Man and Lossiemouth for the Irish Champion Hurdle turned into anticlimax when the latter crashed out dramatically at the fourth last flight.
As Lossiemouth’s jockey Danny Mullins hit the turf, there was a collective intake of breath. For a split second the mare’s flailing legs looked like bringing down State Man only for him to somehow remain upright. But with the eyes of the racing world looking on, the sight of Lossiemouth struggling to her feet momentarily had everyone fearing the worst.
That she quickly trotted away might ultimately prove the best result of all from the €2 million festival. Having initially looked like he might have injured his arm, Mullins too bounced back to ride in the next race.
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In competition terms though the rest of the race was a non-event. Paul Townend allowed State Man gallop home in his own time as two other stable companions, Winter Fog and Daddy Long Legs filled the frame in the €200,000 event.
They and the only non-Mullins runner, Fils D’oudariries, had trailed the two favourites by so far it looked like two races within one until the shape of the contest was transformed by Lossiemouth’s exit.
As unsatisfactorily as it all unfolded, the result meant State Man completed an Irish Champion Hurdle hat-trick and secured an 11th career Grade One. It also helped Willie Mullins win six of the weekend’s eight Grade One prizes just over five weeks out from Cheltenham.
Nevertheless, State Man’s fate to find himself comparatively overlooked in profile terms struck again on Sunday.
His callow stable companion Kopek Des Bordes was a stunning winner of the earlier Tattersalls Novice Hurdle while another Mullins star, Ballyburn, put himself to the forefront of Cheltenham calculations with a smooth Ladbrokes Novice Chase success.
Bookmakers left the odds unchanged on the reigning champion hurdler defending his title next month with old rival Constitution Hill a hot favourite to reclaim the championship.
However, the record books will still say State Man is a triple-Irish Champion Hurdle winner, joining Istabraq, Honeysuckle and Hurricane Fly in accomplishing the feat. The win was also vindication of Townend’s call to opt for him rather than Lossiemouth.
“I was very very lucky not to be brought down. I was on top of him,” said the rider who’s own DRF Grade One haul came to five.
“We don’t know what would have happened, but I suppose take nothing away from him. He can only do what he does.”
Mullins conceded the outcome was disappointing for the racing public but added: “It was just one of those things and Paul was lucky not to be brought down. Paul was happier that he was back to himself. He only does whatever he has to do, and only wins a length or two when he’s right.”
Such a comment doesn’t apply to Kopek Des Bordes, now unbeaten in three starts, and a resounding 9/4 favourite for Supreme glory at Cheltenham after his eye-popping 13-length romp.
Having sweated up beforehand, he jumped much better than at Christmas but was notably free with it. As if that wasn’t enough, he was badly interfered with by a loose horse running towards the second last, all of which inconvenience he swatted aside like his beleaguered opposition.
Townend was motionless up the straight and returned clearly impressed.
“I never had to dip him at all. I thought we were hacking, and he ran away with me leaving the back straight. Not too many do that.” The €130,000 purchase is owned by Charlie McCarthy from Fermoy.
Ballyburn emerged from the blip he experienced when beaten by Sir Gino at Kempton over Christmas to confirm his future is over longer distances than two miles. He briefly faced a duel with the double-Grade One Croke Park from the last but won going away at the finish.
“Kempton was too sharp for him, and it lit him up as well, so he was fairly lit today with Paul,” said Mullins.
“He’s bred to get three miles, so it was fascinating that he was able to do what he did over two miles. His jumping was improved today and going at the pace they were going over that trip, it was going to be easier for him.”
Ballyburn is now a general 2/1 favourite for Cheltenham’s Brown Advisory, ahead of his stable companion Dancing City.
Mullins completed a four-timer and brought his tally for the weekend to seven winners, as the 9/1 Bambino Fever proved much too strong in the Grade Two Mares Bumper under Jody Townend.
Sunday’s official attendance at Day Two of the Dublin Racing Festival was 16,103. It was over 2,000 shy of the 18,500 daily capacity at Leopardstown this weekend.
It brought the total DRF attendance this weekend to 34,400. A crowd of 18,297 was returned on Saturday.
The overall 2024 figure of just over 36,000 included a record 20,000 Saturday crowd that prompted this weekend’s capacity limit.
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