Willie Mullins’ State Man will miss the entire season after it was announced that he had suffered a tendon injury on the gallops.

The twelve-time Grade 1 winner has been nothing short of brilliant throughout his career, winning fourteen of his 20 starts to date, including a trio of Irish Champion Hurdles and Punchestown Champion Hurdles alongside the 2024 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Owned by Joe and Marie Donnelly, he looked in full command when taking a tumbling fall at the final flight in last year's Champion Hurdle and had been all set to embark on his path to regaining his Cheltenham crown in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on Saturday week.  

However, Mullins revealed this morning that he will now miss his 2025/26 campaign.  

He told the 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." 

In the absence of State Man, Paddy Power makes the Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion, who could be in action against Constitution Hill at Newcastle in the Fighting Fifth later this month, their 3/1 joint-favourite alongside Lossiemouth.