As far as the order of things go in the National Hunt racing season, things are still only in second gear at most. It’s a well known fact that, for example, Willie Mullins doesn’t go up through the gears with the intensity of his operation until early November when there tends to be sufficient rain to ensure optimum, safe jumping ground.
Of course, there is always the possibility – as was seen with Fairyhouse earlier this week – that things can go too far the other way and fixtures end up being lost to waterlogging, but, as frustrating and depressing as that can be for somebody as immersed in racing as is yours truly, far better is it to lose a fixture rather than stupidly running the animal on unsuitable ground. Just ask connections of Dawn Run or Harcon – pig headed owners being the cause of both meeting their demise.
You see, for such fine, athletic creatures, horses are incredibly delicate souls. Their legs often only the width of spindles. Thus they are often only one wrong step away from ending their season at the very least. And as my late father often wistfully pointed out – it’ll always happen to a good one.
As they unfortunately learned in Closutton this morning. Not that they’re not used to such things with them being an occupational hazard. But there must now by some legitimacy in the theory that State Man has to be the unluckiest horse anywhere in training. If having to operate in the shadow of the incomparable Honeysuckle wasn’t enough, having eventually got over the line in the 2023 Champion Hurdle after the leading lady had moved on to phase two of her equine career, Joe Donnelly’s steed looked home for all money to defend his crown until the racing Gods gave the yellow and black check silks the two fingered salute when rendering the then 7-year-old’s under carriage as useful as a pair of milk bearing organs on a male bovine. Thus gifting the Champion Hurdle to the Jeremy Scott trained Golden Ace.
Now, given the doubts which must surely envelope where Constitution Hill’s future lies, Willie must surely have felt his former winner was in the box seat to regain the crown.
But no. The jinx on State Man – which seems to be more profound than that which ended up being the undoing of New York magnate Bob Durst – has hit again.
With Willie this morning confirming “Unfortunately State Man will the season having picked up a tendon injury on the gallops here”.
It’s another horrible setback for the gifted but luckless animal, but, not only is his master trainer fortunate enough to have the other most likely favourite in Lossiemouth, he and Joe and Marie Donnelly also have this writer’s outside fancy in the ridiculously overpriced Anzadam who was available at 12/1 earlier in the week but has since halved in odds.
A day can be a long time in racing, never mind a week or a handful of months. The latter-named Mullins inmate would still be my pick, but some contenders will fall away and others will emerge by the time March rolls around.
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