Is Constitution Hill really a shoo-in? State Man is a big mover in the rankings

Graeme Rodway with his pound-for-pound assessment of how the very best chasers, hurdlers, trainers and jockeys measure up

Introducing the all-new Racing Post Power Rankings: do you agree with Graeme Rodway's picks?

Movers and shakers: trainers

It won’t surprise anyone to see Willie Mullins retain his position at the top of the trainer rankings following a stellar Christmas festival at Leopardstown. He missed out on going through the card on Tuesday by just one race and is evidently the best in Britain and Ireland.

The biggest mover is Joseph O’Brien, who retakes his place in second. He opened up in that spot following a good summer, but dropped out of the rankings during a quieter autumn.

However, the emergence of Home By the Lee as a top-class hurdler has helped him back to second spot and don’t forget he won the Finale Juvenile at Chepstow with Comfort Zone.

Philip Hobbs: enjoyed another top-level win with Thyme HillCredit: Edward Whitaker

Philip Hobbs is up to fourth following Thyme Hill’s victory in the Kauto Star at Kempton and, despite playing second fiddle to Mullins for most of the week in Ireland, Gordon Elliott makes his first appearance as a new entry in nine following Conflated’s Savills Chase win.

Paul Nicholls might have won the King George with Bravemansgame, but he had some high-profile reverses including McFabulous and Gelino Bello being beaten in the Kauto Star. He has just a 13 per cent strike-rate over the last fortnight and drops a place into tenth.

Movers and shakers: jockeys

Paul Townend dominated the Christmas festival alongside Willie Mullins and retains the top spot, but the big mover is Mark Walsh, who enjoyed plenty of success over the festive period.

Walsh was successful on Saint Roi in the Grade 1 Racing Post App Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Monday and partnered Tekao to win Tuesday’s opener.

Paisley Park’s win in the Long Walk helped move Aidan Coleman back into the top five, while Rachael Blackmore’s double at Naas before Christmas means she makes her first appearance. The double included a Grade 2 success for promising novice Inthepocket.

Harry Cobden moves into the top ten for the first time following his success on Bravemansgame in the King George. Further big-race success could be forthcoming.

Danny Mullins didn’t ride a winner and has now partnered 29 consecutive losers including Flooring Porter, who was well beaten in the Christmas Hurdle. Mullins drops two places.

Movers and shakers: hurdlers

There is no doubt about who was the star over Christmas in the hurdle division, or is there?

Many will point to Constitution Hill’s wide-margin win in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, but to my eye State Man achieved a lot more. He quickened smartly to brush aside Triumph Hurdle winner Vauban and they left four-time winner Sharjah more than nine lengths behind.

Sharjah appeared to run right up to his best, but he had no answer to the improving younger horses and State Man retakes second from Teahupoo. State Man is now the clear main danger to Constitution Hill in the two-mile division and don’t rule out the progressive Vauban.

This performance was good enough for Vauban to move to sixth and he shaped like he may have needed that first run of the season. Maybe Constitution Hill isn’t a shoo-in after all.

Graeme Rodway was impressed by State Man's Matheson Hurdle winCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Honeysuckle continues to slide down the rankings as Vauban and Home By The Lee move above her. Home By The Lee confirmed the promise of his Lismullen win, but didn’t improve on it and I don’t think he’s a champion stayer. That’s why Flooring Porter stays fifth.

Shewearsitwell sneaks into the top 20 at 18 following her defeat of Queens Brook in the mares’ hurdle, but the most exciting new entry is Facile Vega. His impressive performance in the Grade 1 on Tuesday made him the first novice to make the Power Rankings this season.

Movers and shakers: chasers

The King George looked like a strong race beforehand, with last season’s outstanding novice L’Homme Presse heading the market and several others from the top 20 lining up. However, it was turned into a two-horse race by Bravemansgame and L’Homme Presse.

Bravemansgame has often had his doubters. I’ve heard plenty of people question whether he had the finishing kick required to put a top-class field to bed, but he answered them in no uncertain terms and had mastered L’Homme Presse before that rival departed at the last.

He pulled 14 lengths clear of Royale Pagaille, who went into the race in fifth place on my power rankings, and Bravemansgame now rightly takes his place in fourth.

Bravemansgame: a big mover in the chase divisionCredit: Edward Whitaker

Apart from that, I wasn’t taken with many other chase performances and that includes Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan. He won well, but beat nothing and remains a horse with an incredible amount still to prove for one who is so short for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Dysart Dynamo beat nothing and just isn’t as good as he looks, Saint Roi won one of the poorest Grade 1s run all season, Blue Lord took advantage of a mistake by Chacun Pour Soi to look impressive but didn’t achieve much in beating Captain Guinness.

Conflated won one of the weakest editions of the Savills in living memory and has a cat in hell’s chance of winning a Gold Cup. So, Bravemansgame aside, there wasn’t much change.

Read this next:

How far has Honeysuckle slipped in our expert's jumps power rankings?

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.