Architect Tips takes us through the Matheson Hurdle and gives two potential horses who could shorten for the Cheltenham Festival in March.
14:20 Leopardstown
It is the final day of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown and more Grade 1 action is in store for us with the Neville Hotels Novices Chase followed by the feature race on the card, the Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle, which is the race we are focusing on and it likely to turn out to be a very informative contest for possible Champion Hurdle aspirations.
Sharjah bids for a record-breaking fifth win in succession
Willie Mullins has a strong team here and the first horse to mention has to be Sharjah, available at 6/1, who attempts to enter the history books and become the first five-time winner of the race.
Should he be successful, for the fifth time in a row, he would become the most successful horse in this race by overtaking two of the greatest hurdlers in Hurricane Fly and Istabraq.
Istabraq won it four times between 1997 and 2001, while Hurricane Fly won it in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. However, Sharjah has done something that neither have done and win it four years on the trot and, in three of those, he hasn’t even been the stable's number one hopeful in the race.
While he may not appear to be the yard’s first string again this year, he cannot be taken lightly, as he’s a six-time Grade 1 winner, has been runner-up to Honeysuckle in two Champion Hurdles and has built an excellent partnership with Willie’s son Patrick, who has ridden him to all four previous victories in this race and who’s to say they can’t raise the roof one more time.
I find it even more astonishing that he is generally available at 40/1 for the Champion Hurdle in March (66/1 best price), a race he has run well in multiple times before, as surely an unprecedented fifth victory or a good effort in defeat would see his odds reduce.
State Man could be the biggest danger to Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle
While a record-breaking fifth win could well be on the cards for Sharjah, his task will be made extremely difficult, however, with Willie Mullins declaring last season’s County Hurdle winner State Man and Triumph Hurdle hero Vauban plus Gordon Elliott has pitched Pied Piper into the mix.
Last season’s easy County Hurdle winner State Man, who’s 8/11 favourite, took the step into open company in his stride when running out an emphatic winner of the Morgiana at Punchestown last month, beating Sharjah by four-lengths.
Whilst the runner-up wasn’t at his absolute best, it still might be too much of a difficult task to turn the form around with his younger stablemate, who’s ceiling of ability hasn’t been reached given he’s only five-years-old and he too will come on plenty for his winning return.
He has now won his last four races, is getting stronger and is the biggest danger to Constitution Hill according to the Champion Hurdle ante-post market being priced up at 6/1 second-favourite, so there are very few chinks in his armour and Paul is excited to get back on him.
With even more to come, and should he land this high-quality renewal, his odds for the Champion Hurdle will no doubt be shorter post-race, so if you fancy him for Cheltenham, each-way, back him now, as the each-way price about him will evaporate if successful here.
Last season’s top juveniles Vauban and Pied Piper also feature
Last season's top juvenile hurdlers Pied Piper and Vauban could have a score to settle as the pair have beaten each other once but the difference is, Pied Piper has fitness on his side here and recorded two comfortable wins at Cheltenham and Down Royal this season.
Gordon Elliott’s charge, who was third behind the former in the Triumph before he dead-heated with Knight Salute at Aintree, now tackles the big boys and is clearly a high-class horse himself and is available 12/1 for this and at 33/1 for the Champion Hurdle.
He has plenty to find on official ratings but is open to further improvement and could make his presence felt in this grade here. If he can come out on top in this, he definitely won’t be available at 33/1 for the Champion Hurdle afterwards.
It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against his elders, likewise to Willie Mullins’ Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban, who was initially not expected to run in the race but connections want to find out whether he can mix it with these and there is no reason why he can’t do just that.
He won three Grade 1 events in succession last season and although this will be his toughest test to date, especially conceding fitness too, he should be able to hold his own. Danny Mullins takes the ride and while the form of his wins have taken a few knocks, he could be up to the task ahead.
A win here would undoubtedly see him go second-favourite for the Champion Hurdle so the 12/1 still on offer for the big race in March seems a very nice price for a horse who’s been the Festival and succeeded.
Moreover, he’s a course-and-distance winner at Leopardstown, whereas State Man and Pied Piper have yet to run at the course. Either way, this race has the makings to be an absolute classic and it is one you don’t want to miss live at 14.20pm on the ITV and RacingTV channels.
What else is there to look forward to?
Elsewhere on the card, there is also the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at 13.45, where Gaillard Du Mesnil and Three Stripe Life go head-to-head.
Gaillard Du Mesnil, a current 11/4 chance for the National Hunt Chase at the Festival, could strengthen his position at the top of the betting for that intended target. Three Stripe Life is available at 10/1 for the same race in March.
If he was to win, he would certainly be near favourite for that race next March. This should be a great race between these two proven Grade 1 winners and the market for the National Hunt Chase is likely to change post-race. It is hard to split the pair here, so I will sit on the fence and wait for the outcome.
