A crashing fall suffered by his stablemate Lossiemouth allowed State Man to come home in splendid isolation and claim his third victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The feature event on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival was billed as a straight shootout between the Willie Mullins-trained duo, with Lossiemouth the marginal favourite at 8-11 after finishing behind the brilliant Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

State Man (5-4) had also come up short over the festive period, finishing a distant third behind Brighterdaysahead, but Paul Townend kept the faith in the reigning champion, allowing Danny Mullins to ride Lossiemouth for the first time since her Irish debut three years ago.

From flag-fall the big two dominated, with Lossiemouth and State Man quickly building up a huge advantage over the other three runners.

The decisive moment came in the back straight as Lossiemouth was still in a narrow lead when she made a bad mistake and fell four flights from home, very nearly bringing down State Man in the process.

Townend kept the partnership intact, however, and the race was effectively over from there as State Man coasted home to beat another Mullins runner, Daddy Long Legs, by six and a half lengths.

Mullins said: “Both jockeys went out with no instructions and I was happy to let them do what they wanted, ride their own horse and their own race.

“They were setting it up to be a hell of a race. What happened is disappointing for Rich (Ricci, owner of Lossiemouth), it’s disappointing for the public and it’s disappointing for us all. It was just one of those things and Paul said he was lucky not to be brought down.

“Paul was happier that State Man was back to himself. He only does whatever he has to do, and only wins a length or two when he’s right.

“Paul never waivered from him. There was never any question which horse he was going to ride today.”

State Man’s odds to win a second Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham were trimmed to 7-1 from 8-1, with Lossiemouth pushed out slightly to 4-1 from 11-4. Former champion Constitution Hill is the 4-7 favourite to regain his crown.

Lossiemouth walked away from her exit unscathed and while her rider was gingerly holding his arm in the immediate aftermath, he did ride in the next race.

Of Lossiemouth, her trainer said: “When she won the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse she was running at a four-mile pace and we always settled her in behind because she was so keen.

“She is bred to be way faster than State Man, but in the Christmas Hurdle she just wasn’t used to that fast pace that they go around Kempton. I didn’t think that was anything to do with zest, it was just to do with the way we’d been teaching her to race.

“I haven’t spoken to Rich, but our plan has always been to go for the Champion Hurdle and unless they have a change of heart, I’m happy she can still go for a Champion Hurdle.”

Kopek Des Bordes rules supreme at Leopardstown

Kopek Des Bordes rocketed to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favouritism in extending his unbeaten run to three with an effortless victory in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Winner of a Fairyhouse bumper last season, Kopek Des Bordes had opened his hurdles account with victory at this track over Christmas and despite fog hindering viewing that day, punters were confident the five-year-old had posted an eyecatching run.

Willie Mullins’ charge was sent off the 4-5 market leader on the back of that and while Paul Townend’s mount got mildly distracted by a loose horse on the run for home, the result was never in doubt.

He jumped the last well clear of the field and sauntered home 13 lengths ahead of stablemate Karniquet, with Warren Greatrex’s British raider Good And Clever claiming an honourable third at Grade One level.

Kopek Des Bordes was cut to 7-4 from 12-1 with some firms for the Supreme at Cheltenham next month, while others go 6-4 about his chances.

Mullins said: “The horse was very keen and free the whole way, but Paul just let him have his head going to his hurdles and he’s jumped way better than Christmas. We did a lot of schooling with him since the last day.

“He’s put him in a lovely position, then the loose horse came and I knew what was going to happen, it set him mad as Paul doesn’t usually go on three furlongs out. The loose horse then ran wide at the second-last and Paul had to yank him back, but he still put in a huge jump at it. You’d think he’d have no trouble jumping fences after that.

“It was a tremendous performance. We thought he was good enough to win a bumper and win his hurdles, but you never know if a horse is this good. They’re Grade One material and very few horses show you that at home. They don’t show me anyway, I don’t ask them that many questions and let them show it on the racecourse.

“This fellow was a beautiful horse at the sales, he didn’t walk the way you’d probably want one to walk but with his pedigree, age, the scope and size of him, we took a chance on him.

“I don’t see any need to go up in trip because he’s going to need a very fast pace in his races.”

Ballyburn back on top with Leopardstown verdict

Ballyburn bounced back from an emphatic Christmas reverse at the hands of Sir Gino with a determined victory in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

A triple Grade One-winning novice hurdler last season, Ballyburn made a fine start to his career over fences at Punchestown in November but was no match for a rampant Sir Gino in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton over the festive period.

Stepping back up in trip, Ballyburn was the 8-13 favourite to land a Grade One contest his trainer Willie Mullins has farmed in recent years, with Faugheen (2020), Galopin Des Champs (2022) and last year’s victor Fact To File among those on the roll of honour.

Having sat in the slipstream of pacesetting stablemate Champ Kiely for much of the two-mile-five-furlong contest, Ballyburn took over after jumping the second fence from home and looked set to win decisively after cruising round the home turn in front.

But Croke Park – an 11-1 shot despite being a dual Grade One winner over fences already – kept the market leader honest all the way up the straight before Paul Townend’s mount found more on the run-in to pull five lengths clear. Impaire Et Passe was a further five and a half lengths behind in third.

Mullins said: “I never lost faith, Kempton was just a bit sharp for him and I suppose Kempton lit him up as well, so he was fairly lit today with Paul.

“I think he eventually got him settled and he was afraid to move on him then in case he took off again, so he didn’t do any racing until after the last and he did what he usually does – he just quickened up from the last home.

“He looks a decent horse and I loved what he did from the last to the line. Once Paul got to ask him, he flew.

“He’s bred to get three miles and it’s fascinating he was able to do what he did over two miles and everyone had him down as a two-miler, but looking at his page you’d have to think he wants a trip.

“I thought his jumping improved today, going that pace today over that trip it was going to be easier for him.”

Super Solness bags another big Leopardstown prize

Solness proved his surprise Christmas success was no fluke with a superb front-running victory in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.

Joseph O’Brien’s charge was a shock 28-1 winner at Grade One level over the festive period, beating the reopposing pair of Gaelic Warrior and Marine Nationale.

Gaelic Warrior was a 6-4 favourite to turn the tables just over five weeks later, but Solness again emerged victorious under an inspired ride from Danny Mullins.

Sent straight to the lead from the off, Solness had built up a significant advantage racing down the back straight and it was clear from a long way out the chasing pack would struggle to bridge the gap.

With Gaelic Warrior never threatening to get seriously involved, Marine National emerged as the biggest threat to Solness in the straight, but O’Brien’s charge found plenty on the run-in under a power-packed Mullins drive to see him off by two lengths.

Gaelic Warrior was 12 lengths further behind in third, with his stablemate El Fabiolo an early faller.

Firms cut Solness to 10-1 from 25-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, with ante-post favourite Jonbon also trimmed to 4-5 from evens.