BY MICHAEL O’LEARY
The National Hunt Season is in full swing now, and the biggest weekend of the season so far takes place with Two Grade 1s down for decision in Punchestown. It’s a Two-Day meeting at The Kildare Track with Racing tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, with two of Willie Mullins star performers from last season State Man and Galopin Des Champs expected to make their seasonal debuts.
At time of writing State Man is among 9 entries for tomorrows Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle, while Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs is expected to be prohibitive odds to make his seasonal debut a winning one in the Durkan Chase on Sunday.
State Man dominated The Two Mile Hurdle division in Ireland last season, as he won all Four Grade 1 races starting off with victory in last years Morgiana Hurdle. Further victories followed at Leopardstown in The Matheson Hurdle at The Christmas Festival and The Irish Champion Hurdle at The Dublin Racing Festival, while he returned to Punchestown to win the end of season Paddy Power Champion Hurdle .
Also, State Man ran an honourable race to finish 2nd to the brilliant Constitution Hill in The Champion Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.
All going well, State Man will follow a similar path again this season and tomorrow he may well face a potential challenger in the form of stable companion Impaire Et Passe who is 2nd favorite for The Champion Hurdle next March.
Impaire Et Passe has been very impressive in winning all four of his starts last season that included victories in The Ballymore Novices Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival, before rounding off the season with another Grade 1 triumph at The Punchestown Festival.
Meanwhile, Galopin Des Champs is expected to make his seasonal debut on Sunday in The Durkan Chase where he was most impressive on his seasonal debut last year en route to winning both The Irish Gold Cup at The Dublin Racing Festival followed by The Cheltenham Gold Cup on St. Patricks Day.
Galopin Des Champs will be expected to follow a similar path again this season, and among the declarations for Sunday’s featured race is Fastorslow who was his conqueror from The Punchestown Festival in April.
Allaho is also among the entries for Sunday after making a welcome to the racecourse with an easy victory in The Clonmel Oil Steeplechase, but whether he lines up on Sunday or not remains to be seen.
The Champion Trainer once again has plenty to look forward to in the months ahead, and with the strength in depth at his disposal he will play a leading hand particularly with his Novices and Bumper Horses.
Unfortunately, he will have to do without the services of Twice Champion Chase winner Energumene who is out for the season with a hind leg injury, but he is plenty to look forward to starting this weekend with his leading stable stars expected to make their seasonal debut.
Willie has dominated both The Morgiana Hurdle and Durkan Chase over the past decade or so, having trained the winner of The Morgiana Hurdle 11 times in the past 12 years, while his stable companions have won The Durkan Chase 8 times in the past 10 years.
With strong fancies in both races this weekend, he will expect to extend his winning record.
His 6 winners at this years Cheltenham Festival brought his overall tally to 94 since his first winner Tourist Attraction in 1995, and if he can equal his return at the 2024 Festival next March, he will be the first trainer ever in history to train 100 winners at The Cheltenham Festival.
It’s a scenario that is most likely to happen as the Champion Trainer goes in search of further milestones.
