Patrick Mullins expects Vauban to finish closer to stablemate State Man than he did in the Matheson Hurdle when they lock horns with Honeysuckle in Sunday's Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Four-and-a-quarter lengths separated the pair on that occasion, and while they have the considerable obstacle of the three-time winner of the Grade One contest in their way at the weekend, Mullins feels both have a live chance.
He told this week's Get Stuck In programme: “It’s going to be the race of the weekend with Honeysuckle looking to continue her winning run in the race and join Hurricane Fly and Istabraq in winning it four times in succession.
“But I suppose we’re all smelling a bit of blood at the moment. She got beat for the first time in the Hatton’s Grace, it wasn’t a bad run by any stretch of the imagination and she has possibly run a bit below par in that race before, but it possibly also means she is beatable and we’re looking forward to having another go at her.
"It’s the first time both State Man and Vauban have had a go at taking her on. They are younger horses on their way up and as Sharjah found out over Christmas youth is often very hard to hold back.
“State Man would be the number one, everything has gone really well with him since Christmas, which was Vauban’s first run of the season.
“He’s entitled to improve for it and probably ran a bit better than the bare form would suggest. I know Paul won quite handily but Danny seemed to bank on Paul leaving a gap down his inside going to the last hurdle which obviously didn’t materialise.
“He’d gone half a length up the inside of State Man and then has had to switch round. Any jockey will tell you that at race speed, in the last furlong and a half, you can’t really do that.
"That would have cost him a couple of lengths and I’d expect Vauban to finish a little bit closer this time.”
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