🚨BREAKING CHELTENHAM NEWS: STATE MAN OUT FOR THE SEASON
Blow for Mullins as State Man Ruled Out for the Season
Champion hurdler State Man has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a tendon injury on the gallops at Closutton on Wednesday morning.
Trainer Willie Mullins confirmed the news, telling Sporting Life:
“Sadly, State Man has suffered a tendon injury on the gallops here. He’ll definitely be out for the rest of the season.”
The eight-year-old has been a dominant force in the two-mile hurdling division in recent years. He captured the 2024 Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and was cruelly denied back-to-back victories this year when falling at the last with the race seemingly at his mercy.
State Man was last seen producing another top-class display in the Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on May 2, comfortably defeating Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace by four and three-quarter lengths.
His injury comes as a major setback for the Mullins team, with State Man previously priced at 6/1 for the 2025 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Despite the disappointment, Mullins’ yard remains well-stocked with elite hurdlers. Lossiemouth and Anzadam—the latter owned by State Man’s connections Joe and Marie Donnelly—are both prominent in early markets for the two-mile championship in March.
