State Man wins Champions Hurdle at Cheltenham

Odds-on favourite State Man won the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old, ridden by Irish jockey Paul Townend, turned on the power over the final few fences to romp home ahead of Irish Point and Luccia.

Mullins now has 96 Cheltenham wins.

“Paul rode him so well — I didn’t dream he would be fifth or sixth jumping the fourth-last but he rode him with supreme confidence,” Mullins said. “He probably thought the ground would take it out of the horses in front of him.

“When you’re riding with confidence, you can do that.”