'You can't get much better than this' - State Man completes remarkable clean sweep of all eight DRF Grade 1s for Willie Mullins

Different tactics were deployed by Impaire Et Passe, a different rival gave it a go in the shape of a revitalised Bob Olinger, and the officials even tried something different by taking out the final flight at the last moment due to the low-lying sun. It all mattered not a jot because with State Man you always get the same. 

The same uncomplicated brilliance that saw his second emphatic Irish Champion Hurdle rout chime his Grade 1 haul up to eight. He is the equine embodiment of clockwork.

In 11 completed starts for Willie Mullins, only Constitution Hill's formidable silhouette interrupted his winning sequence last March. Since Nicky Henderson's charge handed State Man his backside in the Cotswolds, the cool Closutton chestnut has added four victories at the highest level. By contrast, Constitution Hill has been seen just twice. 

Whether it counts for anything when they cross swords next month remains to be seen, but the constitution of Marie and Joe Donnelly's redoubtable seven-year-old has certainly been examined. 

Of course, the theme of sameness ran through the weekend. Mullins is as reliable as his hurdling star and his eighth triumph in this prestigious €200,000 showpiece meant he completed a resounding clean sweep of the Dublin Racing Festival's eight Grade 1s at cumulative odds of 6,504-1. No-one else got a sniff.

Collectively, Sunday's big-race results came at aggregate odds of just 8-1 after State Man delivered at 2-5. When Fleur Au Fusil landed the bumper under Townend's sister Jody at 10-1, the five-timer totalled 99-1.

For Mullins, the question now is how State Man might bridge the nine-length gap to Nicky Henderson's lesser-spotted equine colossus. 

"We have our chance," he said of next month's championship event, for which State Man remains largely unchanged at 3-1. 

"State Man is out and racing and he is going to go there in tip-top order so it's all to play for."

State Man: took his Grade 1 haul to eightCredit: Patrick McCann

Last year at Cheltenham, Townend dropped State Man in. Impaire Et Passe went on here under Daryl Jacob and never looked happy doing so, but the champion jockey kept close tabs on him and State Man does seem to enjoy being ridden handily. 

Might tactics be tweaked at Cheltenham?

"Everything is open," Mullins said. "We'll see. I'm sure they're not too worried, I'm sure they are confident they have enough in the locker to beat us. I don't think there will be too many runners in it so a change of tactics might make all the difference, who knows?"

He added: "This fellow is a lovely racehorse. He's not flashy, he just does what he has to do. Like himself and Galopin Des Champs, Fact To File, El Fabiolo, they have beautiful temperaments and that's half the battle. It means the trainer can train them the way they want to and the jockey can ride them the way they want to. It makes life a lot easier for the people involved." 

Impaire Et Passe jumped to his right throughout and was clinging on in front when he did so at what is usually the second-last. Townend still had to come around him, but by the time they swung for home – at which point they realised clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer had omitted the final flight due to the sun, a possibility he had forewarned them about – State Man had begun to assert. 

Bob Olinger, dropped out last of the four behind Echoes In Rain, travelled nicely around the outside but could not lay a glove on the winner.

The margin was five and a half lengths at the line with Impaire Et Passe a similar distance back in third. 

"Daryl tried something different, which I thought he might and I was secretly happy that he did," said Townend after claiming his third win in the race, 13 years after his first aboard Hurricane Fly.

He added of State Man: "I love him. He's so uncomplicated. With the long run we were in front early enough, but it didn't matter. He's the best we have and he has shown his superiority. It's just a shame Constitution Hill is in the way."

Paul Townend: "I love him. He's so uncomplicated"Credit: Alan Crowhurst

Bob Olinger took on State Man for the first time and confirmed his revival with a fine run. Both Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead were pleased with him and the Aintree Hurdle is up next.

Sunday's attendance of 16,003 brought the meeting's overall figure to 36,020, up 1,429 on 2023, while Mullins' nine wins meant he topped last year's DRF record of eight by one, and he took a moment to reflect on the magnitude of it all.

"It's been a superb weekend. It's extraordinary and we know that," he said. 

"We have tremendous owners and they invest in Irish racing. We are the beneficiaries and are very lucky.

"You can't get much better than this weekend. It is fabulous horseracing. A lot of our second strings won, Danny [Mullins] had an amazing day yesterday, and they are all coming here on their merits for different owners. May the best one win on the day."

Invariably, the one is trained by him, and State Man epitomises that reality. Just awesome. 

Unibet Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham, March 12)
Unibet: 1-3 Constitution Hill, 3 State Man, 12 Lossiemouth, 16 Bob Olinger, Impaire Et Passe, 25 bar.

Willie Mullins’ Grade 1 domination

Saturday

Dancing City (16-1, Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle)
Kargese (7-2, Spring Juvenile Hurdle)
Il Etait Temps (6-1, Irish Arkle)
Galopin Des Champs (1-3, Irish Gold Cup)

Sunday

Fact To File (6-4, Ladbrokes Novice Chase)
Ballyburn (10-11, Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle)
El Fabiolo (4-11, Dublin Chase)
State Man (2-5, Irish Champion Hurdle)

Read more:

'It was everything I wanted and more' - El Fabiolo thrills Willie Mullins with another easy Grade 1 success   

Brilliant Ballyburn storms into Supreme and Baring Bingham favouritism with emphatic Grade 1 victory   

Gaelic Warrior capitulation leaves Fact To File to claim just second Grade 1 match in Ireland 

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