MULLINS JUNIOR STATES HIS CASE

State Man ridden by Paul Townend falls at Cheltenham

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"BRING them on!" is the defiant message from Patrick Mullins after the declarations for Friday's Boodles Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Huge crowds are anticipated for the clash between State Man and Constitution Hill at the season-ending carnival, with Jeremy Scott doubling the British raiding party by saddling Cheltenham's Champion Hurdle victor, Golden Ace.

The mare capitalised as State Man took a crunching fall at the last when seemingly on the cusp of making it back-to-back triumphs in the championship race for two-mile hurdles.

That was the first time the Marie Donnelly-owned jumper had lined up alongside Constitution Hill but the 2023 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle victor, trained by Punchestown regular Nicky Henderson, came a cropper even earlier, four from home.