Unlikely hero Sharjah vying to join immortals with fourth Matheson triumph
It might not be a vintage Matheson Hurdle and it might be a regrettably exclusive affair with just two trainers responsible for six runners in a €150,000 Grade 1, but victory for Sharjah can save the Leopardstown Christmas festival's swansong showpiece.
Willie Mullins' somewhat unlikely hero would not just emulate Istabraq and Hurricane Fly as a four-time winner of the two-mile event, he would trump them by completing the quartet in an unbroken sequence.
Istabraq's fall when upsides Moscow Flyer, Stage Affair and Mantles Prince at the last flight in 2000 interrupted his record in the race, while Hurricane Fly was an 11th hour absentee in 2011 when his return to action after snaring his first Champion Hurdle the previous March was delayed until the Irish Champion at the end of January.
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