With Constitution Hill unable to defend his crown, State Man appears to have been presented with a gilt-edged opportunity to claim Unibet Champion Hurdle glory on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old has met with defeat only once since joining Willie Mullins – and that was when left trailing in the wake of Nicky Henderson’s brilliant hurdler 12 months ago.

State Man has since won a second Morgiana Hurdle, a second Matheson Hurdle and a second Irish Champion Hurdle, taking his overall tally of Grade One victories to eight.

Last month, hopes appeared high within the Mullins camp that the chestnut gelding could at least make more of a race of it with Constitution Hill this time around, and it is undoubtedly a bitter blow to the race that the rematch will not take place after the reigning champion was ruled out.

In his absence, State Man will be cramped odds to provide Mullins with a fifth Champion Hurdle triumph following the previous victories of dual winner Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and Annie Power – but the trainer himself is taking nothing for granted.

“He looks a worthy favourite and hopefully he can prove himself to be a proper favourite,” Mullins said on the Cheltenham gallops on Monday morning.

“He’s been doing everything right, so it would be great if he could win a Champion Hurdle, but nothing is a given when you come over here.”

Paul Townend has steered State Man to all but one of his 10 career wins so far and the leading rider hopes he can continue his winning streak on his return to the Cotswolds.

He said: “He’s been excellent this season, hopefully he can keep it going for another day.

“This is his third time here, so he knows the run of the place already.”

The biggest threat to the red-hot favourite is Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point, who for much of the season looked set to contest the Stayers’ Hurdle later in the week.

However, with Constitution Hill not in attendance and Elliott and owners Robcour already responsible for a major Stayers’ Hurdle contender in the form of Teahupoo, they have decided to split their aces.

“If you take the favourite out of it, it looks an open race. I think there’s only two horses in the race under about 10-1, so we have to take our chance,” said Elliott.

“I’m not worried about the trip.”

Henderson has won the Champion Hurdle on a record nine occasions and despite Constitution Hill’s defection, the Seven Barrows handler fires a twin assault, with his supplemented Betfair Hurdle winner Iberico Lord joined by high-class mare Luccia.

Regarding Iberico Lord, Henderson told Unibet: “As everyone knows, this was definitely not the original plan, but circumstances have meant he now slots into this, and our decision was also swayed by the fact that the ground is going to be softer in the early part of the week.

“Obviously, he has to improve dramatically to beat the likes of State Man, but his victory in the Greatwood Hurdle has worked out particularly well, as has his win at Newbury last time, so the form is strong, and he is an improving horse who deserves to be there.”

He added of Luccia: “She is the most wonderful person to have around the place and her owner has always been keen to run her in the Champion Hurdle, so here we are!

“Her form is very good all the way through, anyway, and she receives a 7lb sex allowance which is a big help. We haven’t seen her since December; therefore, she arrives here a fresh mare and I’m hopeful she can run a nice race.”

The home team also includes Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion and Hughie Morrison’s admirable veteran Not So Sleepy, who has been kept fresh for this race since landing the rescheduled Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown in early December.

The 12-year-old’s title-chasing jockey Sean Bowen said: “State Man obviously looks the one, but there doesn’t look too much beyond him.

“I schooled Not So Sleepy last week and he was in great form with himself, so hopefully we can play a part. Hughie thinks he’s in great form.

“It was the absolute best, a brilliant day when he won the Fighting Fifth and it’s great to have horses like him still winning Grade Ones.

“Everyone will be watching him and willing him on, so it will be fun.”

Mullins sends over a youthful second string in Zarak The Brave, while it would be a mystery of Cluedo proportions if Lorna Fowler’s outsider Colonel Mustard comes out on top.

A rematch with the mighty Constitution Hill looms large for State Man following a comfortable defence of his Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle crown at Leopardstown.

Since falling on his first start for Willie Mullins at this track in December 2021, State Man has been the dominant force in the division in Ireland, winning nine of his next 10 outings.

His only defeat during that period came at the hands of Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill, who proved nine lengths too strong in the Champion Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.

And while State Man clearly has his work cut out to turn the tables in the Cotswolds next month, he confirmed his status as the reigning champion’s biggest threat with an eighth Grade One victory under Paul Townend.

Having been unable to reel in his stablemate in the Matheson Hurdle in December, Impaire Et Passe this time set out to make all the running under Daryl Jacob, with State Man (2-5 favourite) his nearest pursuer.

State Man took over travelling strongly before the home turn and was always doing enough in the straight to keep a resurgent Bob Olinger at bay, with five and a half lengths separating the pair at the line.

Coral left the winner unchanged at 3-1 for the Champion Hurdle, with Constitution Hill their 1-5 favourite.

Paul Townend is looking forward to being reunited with the “exceptional” State Man in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Since falling on his Irish debut over two years ago, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old has won nine of his 10 starts, his only defeat coming at the hands of Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.

On his most recent outing, he readily accounted for a high-class stablemate in Impaire Et Passe when winning his second successive Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.

Townend guided the latter, who is set to be in opposition again this weekend, to four successive victories last season, but he insists the decision to side with State Man was straightforward.

“I love him, he’s been very, very good to me. Bar the one day we fell in a maiden hurdle in Leopardstown, he’s been exceptional,” said the Irish champion jockey.

“I just found it very hard to desert State Man (at Christmas) – I thought it would be a lot worse standing in the number two spot looking at State Man winning than standing in the number two spot looking at Impaire Et Passe.

“He duly obliged and he’s just such a straightforward horse and a class horse to be involved with.

“Bar Constitution Hill, he’s the best around, I think.”

State Man will be long odds-on to bag his second Irish Champion Hurdle on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, having dethroned Honeysuckle with an all-the-way victory 12 months ago.

As well as Impaire Et Passe, Mullins could saddle Matheson Hurdle third Echoes In Rain, while Henry de Bromhead will be hoping Bob Olinger can continue his resurgence following an impressive display in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Gordon Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies, last of four in the Matheson Hurdle, completes the potential field.

State Man made a pleasing return to action when retaining his title in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.

The chestnut took the contest last year before embarking on a brilliant season that saw him beaten only by Constitution Hill in five runs at Grade One level.

He was the 1-6 favourite for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in a field of just four and after travelling well in mid-division, he accelerated when rounding the final bend and pulled clear to defeat stablemate Echoes In Rain by five lengths.

State Man will take the first step on the path back to the Champion Hurdle when he defends his Unibet Morgiana Hurdle title at Punchestown on Saturday.

The two-mile Grade One has been dominated by his trainer Willie Mullins, who has won the race 12 times in total and in every year barring 2020 since Thousand Stars struck in 2011.

Hurricane Fly won this three times, and now State Man has the chance to join the list of Closutton champions to score twice in the Saturday feature of Punchestown’s Winter Festival, joining the likes of Nichols Canyon and Sharjah.

A winner of seven of his 10 career starts, State Man ran out a decisive four-length scorer 12 months ago before claiming a further three Grade One contests on home soil, during a campaign which also included a second to Constitution Hill at Cheltenham, and connections are confident he can once again cement his position as Ireland’s leading two-mile hurdler.

“State Man had a brilliant season last year apart from running into Constitution Hill,” said State Man’s jockey Paul Townend, who is searching for his fourth win in the race and will also partner Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan on Sunday.

“Hopefully we can get on the board in the Grade One races and look forward to the rest of the winter after that.”

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, added: “It’s obviously a fascinating race and often has a small field with two or three good horses.

“Hurricane Fly won it plenty and State Man won it last year. He made the running last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has to make it again, but it doesn’t bother him, he’s well able to jump and well able to make his own running.

“He should be up to winning it and on ratings he is well clear of Pied Piper and Echoes In Rain. He worked very well at the Curragh on Tuesday and it’s an ideal place to start the season.”

Joining State Man in the line-up is Closutton stablemate Echoes In Rain, who has been kept busy on the Flat since scoring at the track in the spring, while Gordon Elliott is responsible for the other two contenders, Pied Piper and Fils D’oudairies.

The former arrives fighting fit after being touched off in the Cesarewitch and Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction Ltd, is hopeful he will get his moment in the spotlight following some narrow reversals at the biggest meetings in both codes.

He said: “He worked on Wednesday and we were very happy with him. Obviously it is a very tough race with State Man and Willie’s other horse is in it.

“He’s had a run in Newmarket and hopefully it can prepare him for his jumping season.

“He’s in a tough position and he’s been quite an unlucky horse. He was beaten a nose at Cheltenham (County Hurdle), dead-heated at Aintree (as a novice), got no luck at Royal Ascot and was touched off at Newmarket (in the Cesarewitch). There are not too many horses that can do what he’s after doing.”

Elsewhere on the card, dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter runs right-handed for the first time in over two and a a half years in the Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase.

Gavin Cromwell’s Cheltenham Festival hero made a seamless switch to the larger obstacles at Prestbury Park last month and his achievements over timber set the standard in a Grade Two with a deep appearance.

“He is an older and wiser horse and a little bit more manageable nowadays so we’ll give it a go,” said Cromwell of Flooring Porter’s return to Punchestown’s right-handed set-up.

“It is a good big, galloping track so hopefully he’ll be OK. He has really taken to chasing and loves it. He has plenty of scope for a horse that is not very big and hopefully the future is bright for him.”

Noel Meade’s Affordale Fury accounted for Favori De Champdou when they met at Galway on their respective chasing bows and the Albert Bartlett runner-up is another high-class operator in the field, as is Sandor Clegane, who was a place behind Affordale Fury at the Festival in March.

Paul Nolan’s six-year-old bumped into some useful looking rivals when making his fences debut over two miles and his handler is eager to see a clean round of jumping as he returns to a more appropriate staying trip.

“It is a very, very good race and even though it is over the three miles, with Flooring Porter in it, it is going to be a truly-run race,” said Nolan.

“He’s going to have to jump very well and he’s still a maiden going into it. They have all had one or maximum of two runs over fences so we’re just hoping that he will jump well and he will come out of the race giving us nice plans to make for the future.

“We had an official mark of 141 (over hurdles) and Flooring Porter is 156. He’s spent extra years over hurdles and is a multiple Stayers’ Hurdle winner. He’s not the only good horse in it and it’s a decent race, but I think our lad is a three-miler and I just hope he will jump well.”