Willie Mullins believes State Man’s defeat at the hands of Brighterdaysahead could have a different feel to it by the end of the season.
The reigning champion hurdler was sent off the 4-9 favourite for the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, despite being beaten by the Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead on his reappearance in the Morgiana in November.
Just three-quarters of a length separated the pair at Punchestown, but State Man proved no match for the mare in the Christmas feature, with Brighterdaysahead running out a 30-length winner, as Winter Fog pipped State Man for second place.
Jockey Paul Townend said the gelding felt “flat” in the aftermath, but Mullins thinks the winner was “exceptional” on the day.
He said: “He had probably worked a little bit that way, but we’re used to that with him, except he has performed better on the track whereas he didn’t perform.
“Then again the winner produced an exceptional performance. By the end of the season we might be saying there was no shame.”
State Man’s defeat was one of a handful of disappointing efforts for Mullins over the Christmas period, with Ballyburn easily defeated by Sir Gino in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton and Lossiemouth also having to settle for second behind the returning Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at that track.
A possible rematch between the latter pair is a possibility in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 25, although Mullins – who fired in an across-the-card six-timer on New Year’s Day – also has the Dublin Racing Festival on his radar for Lossiemouth.
He added: “She’s been good and I’ve been happy enough with all our horses coming back from Leopardstown as well.
“We’ll look at the International Hurdle or coming back to Leopardstown, we’ll see how things go.
“They are the only races those horses can run in so we have to look at them. It’ll be one or the other or one in each place.”