Confirmed runners and riders for the Morgiana Hurdle as State Man returns

It is State Man rather than Sir Gerhard who will try to be moulded into a Champion Hurdle contender by Willie Mullins this season after the five-year-old appeared among a final field of five for Sunday's Unibet Morgiana Hurdle (2.05) at Punchestown.

Mullins, who is chasing a remarkable 12th win in the race, has also declared last year's winner Sharjah, who was also successful in 2018. He will be once again ridden by the champion amateur Patrick Mullins who has been on board for five of his six Grade 1 wins as well as his Galway Hurdle success in 2018.

Sharjah has not been seen since running out an odds-on winner of the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown last Christmas having missed the remainder of the campaign with a setback. Saldier, the 2019 Morgiana winner, completes the three-pronged attack from the Mullins stable with Danny Mullins booked.

But it is State Man where most eyes will be drawn. He landed a monster plunge in the County Hurdle last March, where he was an emphatic winner at 11-4. He backed that up by winning the Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown festival and is now priced between 7-1 and 10-1 for the Champion Hurdle.

Sharjah: winner of last season's Morgiana HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Speaking in his Racing Post stable tour this month, Mullins said of State Man: "We thought he'd be a nice novice chaser. He's one of those horses we're in two minds about in terms of chasing or hurdling. He's third or fourth favourite for the Champion Hurdle and it's easier to keep him sound for that, and his family tend to improve with age. We'll have to speak with connections.

"I had him and Sir Gerhard pencilled in as novice chasers at the start of the season, but as we near our kick-off point I'm beginning to question whether we should look at the Champion Hurdle for them. I think he's got the quality to be a Champion Hurdle horse. Whether he'll be good enough to win it I'm not sure, but I don't think we've seen the best of him at all."

It now seems that Mullins has changed his mind about State Man going novice chasing and he begins a potential path to the Champion Hurdle in the first Grade 1 hurdle race of the season.

Gordon Elliott won the Morgiana in 2020 with Abacadabras and this time around he relies on Teahupoo, who who looked a potential star when winning the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park in February and was sent off a single figure price against Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle.

He trailed in last of ten there and disappointed behind the unbeaten wondermare at Punchestown too but Elliott is adamant that he needs soft ground to be at his best and he will get that on Sunday.

Jesse Evans completes the quintet for Noel Meade and Bryan Cooper. He was a stylish winner of the Grade 3 Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Tipperary last month but blotted his copybook with a below-par effort in the November Handicap on the Flat at Naas last time where he only beat one home.

Morgiana Hurdle runners and riders

Jesse Evans Bryan Cooper
Saldier Danny Mullins
Sharjah Patrick Mullins
State Man Paul Townend
Teahupoo Jack Kennedy

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