'His favourite track and time of year' - Sharjah goes for record-equalling win

Wednesday: 2.20 Leopardstown
Matheson Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTE

If the real Sharjah shows up, there can be only one outcome here. He is unquestionably the best horse in the race, officially 9lb superior to Zanahiyr, Saint Roi and Petit Mouchoir, and has won this race for the last three years in a row with RPRs of 164 and 166 for the last two. A repeat of either of those will be enough to take him level with Istabraq and Hurricane Fly as a four-time winner.

It seems like Sharjah has been around forever, yet he is still only eight. Runner-up in the last two Champion Hurdles to mares who were in receipt of 7lb, he is the best male hurdler since Buveur D'Air. Five Grade 1 wins and a Galway Hurdle off top weight provide ample evidence of that.

The problem for punters is that Sharjah has developed a habit of throwing in the odd stinker, so getting involved at odds-on comes with risks attached. He has, however, confined his aberrations to the Irish Champion Hurdle in February for the last two seasons. He tends to love Christmas and despise the Dublin Racing Festival.

He has often needed his return to action but there were no signs of cobwebs in the Morgiana at Punchestown last month when he coasted past Zanahiyr without Patrick Mullins having to move a muscle. It was very easy on the eye.

Sharjah leads Zanahiyr in last month's Morgiana Hurdle at PunchestownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

This time Zanahiyr might not have to do his own donkey work up front, though. Petit Mouchoir is there to ensure a brisk tempo and erase any prospect of a sprint developing from the home turn.

There is the tearaway Felix Desjy too. He has his own ideas about the game but can post some ferocious early fractions and this will be a thorough test. That will suit Zanahiyr, who looks like he will be better over further.

A stronger pace should allow Echoes In Rain to settle better too. She was far too fizzy in the early stages of the Morgiana and needs to learn how to channel her ability properly. When she does, she will be dangerous.

Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to Saint Roi. He was sent off 13-8 favourite for this race last year but, when push came to shove after the second-last, the response was bitterly disappointing.

He was beaten a long way by Honeysuckle in the Irish Champion Hurdle next time and has been off since. It is too early to write him off entirely but it is also fanciful to think he can return from a 326-day absence and beat Sharjah.

No matter which way you look at this, or what angle you take, you always come back to Sharjah. He deserves to be odds-on and, unless Appreciate It comes out and does something decent in the next few weeks, he remains the biggest danger to Honeysuckle in March.

'It would be pretty cool if he could emulate Hurricane Fly and Istabraq'

There are those who say Sharjah is not loved enough but Patrick Mullins was the founding member of the fan club and has never hidden his admiration for the second-highest-rated hurdler in training.

The most successful amateur of all time has been on board for five of his last six wins and their form figures together read F611B41621321.

Hat-trick heroes: Sharjah and Patrick Mullins win last year's Matheson HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Mullins said: "It would be pretty cool if he could emulate Hurricane Fly and Istabraq. He's in great form at home and it looks like the ground will be perfect for him. I can't wait to ride him again."

On the opposition facing Sharjah, Mullins added: "Zanahiyr and Echoes In Rain will probably be better than their Punchestown runs and I'd be wary of Saint Roi as well. It won't be simple, that's for sure."

Sharjah is currently 10-1 third favourite for the Champion Hurdle, with defending champion Honeysuckle heading the market at 4-5 and Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Appreciate It next best at 6-1 following Willie Mullins' recent announcement that he is set to remain over hurdles this season.

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Felix Desjy, Petit Mouchoir and Zanahiyr
Zanahiyr was a good juvenile last season and started off the current campaign with a good win at Down Royal. The small field and having to make his own running at Punchestown probably didn't suit him. He might be better suited to the sort of test he's likely to get here and he has been in good form over the last few weeks. Petit Mouchoir has been some servant over the years and has run some big races around Leopardstown. It's his first start of the season, though, so it's a big ask. We're going back over hurdles with Felix Desjy. He's a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and a very good horse on his day, but he needs to step up on what he has been showing recently.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Saint Roi, Sharjah and Echoes In Rain
Sharjah comes here to his favourite track, at his favourite time of the year, off the back of a good win in the Morgiana at Punchestown. He's won the last three runnings of this and I'm hoping he can do it again. Echoes In Rain was too free in the Morgiana with a slow pace that day. A quicker gallop here will suit and, while she has to improve around a stone to get into this company, she's learning with every run. I think Saint Roi will suit Rachael [Blackmore]. He has a nice style of running and jumping. We intended going chasing this season, but he had a little setback and we switched back to hurdles. I think he'll be competitive here even though it's his first run of the season as he's gone well fresh before.

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