Sharjah out to 13-2 as State Man strengthens at head of Matheson market

Sharjah and Patrick Mullins have taken the Matheson Hurdle (2.20) for the past four years but the Leopardstown specialist is on the drift for the Grade 1 highlight on the final day of the track's Christmas festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old is as big as 13-2 with bet365 and BoyleSports having been a 3-1 chance overnight. Stablemates State Man, who beat Sharjah in last month's Morgiana Hurdle, and Vauban, who is making his seasonal reappearance, are proving more popular with the punters.

State Man is unbeaten when completing over hurdles for Mullins and is 8-11 (from 5-6) to complete a Grade 1 hat-trick, with that Morgiana success following up a top-level triumph at Punchestown in the spring.

Vauban, like County Hurdle winner State Man, impressed at the Cheltenham Festival when taking the Triumph Hurdle and has course-and-distance winning form from the Dublin Racing Festival in February.

Despite his comeback being delayed, Vauban is proving more popular than his fellow Susannah Ricci-owned stablemate Sharjah, and is 5-2 with William Hill having been 7-2 overnight.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “State Man is considered by the bookies to be the biggest threat to Constitution Hill in their Champion Hurdle markets.

"This highly progressive hurdler is the one that punters want at pretty short odds, despite Sharjah going for a record fifth success in this race and only being rated 3lb lower than State Man.”

Market movers

12.45 Doncaster Datsalrightgino 11-4 (from 5)

1.03 Kelso Franigane 5-1 (from 18)

2.13 Kelso Imperial Merlin 1-3 (from 6-4)

2.20 Leopardstown Sharjah 13-2 (from 3)

7.30 Southwell Mehmo 11-8 (from 4)

Leopardstown soft, yielding in places after dry night while Kelso gets go ahead

The going on all tracks at Leopardstown for the fourth and final day of its Christmas festival is soft, yielding in places after a dry night.

ITV4 will broadcast four races from Leopardstown including three Graded contests, the pick being the Matheson Hurdle (2.20) in which the Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah bids for a fifth successive win in the Grade 1.

The ground was soft on the chase and hurdle courses on Wednesday, with a slight change to that description outlined by clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer on Thursday morning.

"We were dry overnight," he said. "The going on the hurdle and bumper track is soft, yielding in places. It walks quite nice down here, we're on our innermost line today. It's a little bit better than soft in places.

"The chase track is again, soft, yielding in places. It's yielding in the back straight in the odd place.

"The forecast is a mixture of sun and wind. It's generally dry for the day with the chance of an occasional shower, with the winds easing as the day goes on."

As well as the Leopardstown action ITV4 will show two races from Doncaster, including the bet365 Handicap Chase (2.40) in which Nestor Park, who had been a general 8-1 chance, will not run due to a knocked joint.

Kelso: passed morning inspectionCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Away from the terrestrial TV action, Kelso passed a Thursday morning inspection for its seven-race card. There had been a threat of heavy overnight rain but the fixture has been given the green light.

Non-runners

Leopardstown
12.00 1 Ballykeel, 4 Glamorgan Duke
12.35 4 Cardamon Hill, 9 Monty's Star
1.45 6 Mighty Potter
2:55 5 Starzov, 7 Mister Beeton, 9 Conna Cottage, 14 Hardy Bloke

Doncaster
12.10 15 Harkangel
12.45 3 Barrichello
1.20 9 Lemon Ice
2.40 4 Nestor Park
3.40 11 Lunar Jet

Kelso
1.38 1 Wild Romance
2.13 3 Hitching Jacking
2.48 3 Breizh River
3.20 4 Missed Tee, 8 Lily's Gem

Limerick
12.20 5 Nobody Home,6 Stormey
12.55 9 Coolcullen
14.35 1 Rewrite The Script, 3 Senior Chief, 10 Della Casa Lunga
3.05 2 Buddy One
5.35 6 Feyan, 19 Vocal Queen, 20 Duffys Hodey, 21 Londonofficecallin

Southwell
5.30 8 Weydaad

Read Thursday's previews:

1.10 Leopardstown: Mares' Hurdle runner-up Queens Brook out to book her festival ticket in style

1.45 Leopardstown: National Hunt Chase favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil the one to beat in Grade 1 test

2.20 Leopardstown: State Man v Sharjah v Vauban - who comes out on top in a magic Matheson?

2.40 Doncaster: can Gesskille make amends after twice finishing second over the National fences?

3.10 Doncaster: 'This is her season's target' - who's in hot pursuit of the £75,000 Silver Vase?

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