Sharjah's stablemates could foil famous five bid at Leopardstown

Patrick Mullins feels it is a testament to Sharjah's constitution that he is bidding for a fifth successive victory in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Should he be successful, and it is by no means a given as he faces two very smart stablemates in State Man and Vauban, he will overtake Istabraq and Hurricane Fly as the most successful horse ever in the Grade One.

Despite being an amateur, Mullins has struck up an incredibly successful partnership with the nine-year-old, trained by his father, Willie, and a place in Irish racing history will be assured if he manages to come out on top once again.

While he may not be the yard’s first string, one positive Sharjah fans can cling to is that for the first three of his wins in the race he was not either.

"It is not often you get an opportunity to top Hurricane Fly and Istabraq, so I’m looking forward to it," said Mullins.

"Leopardstown at Christmas, on the inside track, really suits him. It’s a quick track, it’s usually nice ground and he was even going to win his novice race at this meeting five years ago when he fell jumping a shadow.

"It’s incredible for a horse to be running at Grade One level for six years, very few horses do that, very few have the soundness – or the ability – to do that. It says a heck of a lot about his constitution."

Sharjah was beaten by State Man on his return to action this term, with last season’s County Hurdle winner four lengths too good in last month’s Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.

Mullins admits it will be be hard to close the gap on his much younger stable companion.

"I was a little bit disappointed with him in the Morgiana, more that I had to come off the bridle to get by Saldier, but then I liked how he finished the race and he