Sharjah (pink) edges out Zanahiyr© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah joined two hurdling greats when recording a remarkable fourth successive win in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown this afternoon.
Istabraq and Hurricane Fly both won the Grade 1 Hurdle on four occasions but not consecutively.
Sharjah was sent to post a 5/6 shot to land his quartet of wins in the race and was held up as usual in the two-miler.
Patrick Mullins asked his mount to take closer order turning for home and he travelled best early in the straight.
The eight-year-old had to dig deep though in the closing stages to get the better of a determined Zanahiyr
The four-year-old fought gamely and Sharjah just prevailed late on to secure a neck victory.
“That's tremendous, it wasn't good for the heart. I didn't think he was going to get up, I just thought he was going to hang fire,” said Mullins.
“He didn't look comfortable coming around the second last bend and going to the second last hurdle I thought 'oh is it not happening today'.
“Patrick had to cod him and coax him before he really went for him. He said he wasn't as sharp as other years.
“He got pushed out on to yesterday's ground with the hurdle missing and that just blunted his speed in the last furlong but he managed enough to do it anyhow. It was a terrific race.
“Whether it was the ground or the wind he wasn't as sharp as he was in other years but four years running you can't expect a horse to be improving.
“He's been a fantastic horse for Patrick, Rich and Susannah. Rich likes Patrick riding him and they are a great team. He's a special horse for that partnership.
“It's extraordinary the amount of Grade 1s Patrick has ridden, he takes his chances and takes them well.
“We might go straight to Cheltenham now, I'll have a word with Rich and Susannah but it might be the thing to do. The Dublin Racing festival doesn't seem to work for him.”
When asked how he was going to beat Honeysuckle he responded:- “You might have to find someone else to do that, I don't know whether we can anyway. None of those look like they can do it. If she gets there on the day she'll be hard to beat.”
Boylesports left Sharjah unchanged on 10/1 for the Champion Hurdle while they trimmed Zanahiyr into 14/1 from 20/1.
