Insights from Morgiana Hurdle Connections
State Man to Take on the Challenge of Unibet Morgiana Hurdle Defense at Punchestown
In an exciting start to his journey back to the Champion Hurdle, State Man is set to defend his title in the prestigious Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown this Saturday. This two-mile Grade One race has been dominated by trainer Willie Mullins, who has emerged victorious twelve times over the years.
Since Thousand Stars claimed victory in 2011, Mullins has clinched the win every year except for 2020. Hurricane Fly proved triumphant three times, and now it’s State Man’s turn to potentially join the illustrious list of Closutton champions who have secured victory twice in this renowned Saturday feature of Punchestown’s Winter Festival – a list that includes Nichols Canyon and Sharjah.
The talented State Man boasts seven wins out of ten career starts. He convincingly triumphed by four lengths last year in the same race he will be defending this weekend. Throughout his campaign, he also won three other Grade One contests on home soil and earned a commendable second place behind Constitution Hill at Cheltenham.
“State Man had a brilliant season last year apart from running into Constitution Hill,” said jockey Paul Townend, who aims for his fourth win in this race. Townend will also ride Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs in Sunday’s John Durkan Chase.
Townend added with confidence: “Hopefully we can get on the board in these Grade One races and look forward to an outstanding winter thereafter.”
Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins expressed his excitement for the upcoming race, stating: “It’s obviously a fascinating race and often has a small field with two or three good horses. Hurricane Fly won it plenty of times, and State Man triumphed last year. He made the running last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has to set the pace once again.”
Mullins continued: “But it doesn’t bother him, he is more than capable of jumping well and leading from the front. Going by ratings alone, State Man is far ahead compared to Pied Piper and Echoes In Rain. He performed exceptionally well during his workout at the Curragh on Tuesday – it’s an ideal start to the season for him.”
Joining State Man in this exhilarating lineup is stablemate Echoes In Rain from Closutton stables. This talented horse has been active on flat races since securing victory at Punchestown earlier this year.
Gordon Elliott will showcase two contenders in this race – Pied Piper and Fils D’oudairies. The former arrives in excellent form after narrowly missing out on victory in the Cesarewitch.
Racing manager Joey Logan expressed high hopes for Pied Piper following some narrow defeats at major meetings across different codes:
“He’s had quite a tough journey so far as an unlucky horse,” said Logan. “From being beaten by just a nose at Cheltenham (County Hurdle) to dead-heating at Aintree (as a novice), along with no luck at Royal Ascot and falling short by just inches at Newmarket (in the Cesarewitch). Few horses have faced such challenges like he has.”
In other exciting races taking place during Punchestown’s Winter Festival, dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter will face new challenges as he runs right-handed for the first time in over two and a half years. Gavin Cromwell’s Cheltenham Festival hero will showcase his talent in the Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase, a Grade Two race with immense competition.
“Flooring Porter is now an older and wiser horse, more manageable than before,” said trainer Gavin Cromwell. “Therefore, we’ll give it a go at Punchestown’s right-handed course.”
He added: “It is an excellent opportunity to test him on this track. Our expectations are high as he has been performing well lately.”