Majborough powers to spectacular 19-length victory in Dublin Chase
Mark Walsh on Majborough celebrates winning The Ladbrokes Dublin Steeplechase (Grade 1). Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
It’s taken a while but Majborough finally put it all together at Leopardstown on Sunday, powering to a spectacular 19-length victory over Marine Nationale in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
Despite looking every inch a chaser, the 2024 Triumph Hurdle has struggled over the larger obstacles, his jumping gremlins costing him victory in the Arkle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and contributing to defeats at Cork and Leopardstown this season.
But with cheekpieces applied, it was a very different story on Sunday as the JP McManus-owned six-year-old dictated the terms of engagement from the front in the hands of Mark Walsh.
Champion Chase hero and 5-4 favourite Marine Nationale did his best to bridge the gap before the home turn but that effort took its toll as Majborough galloped on relentlessly to put down a huge a Cheltenham marker.
Mullins was quick to pay tribute to Walsh for pushing for cheekpieces to be applied.
“Mark was very adamant that he wanted them (cheekpieces) on and that he wanted to ride him his own way. All credit to Mark.
“He was terrific. You could see Mark was enjoying it and the horse was enjoying it with him.
“It was just poetry in motion down the back. I was afraid that he might not have enough left in the tank over the second-last, but Mark said to me there that he had plenty in the tank, he threw a terrific jump in at the last and galloped away up the straight.
“I was wondering over the first three fences if they were going to kill one another and leave it to Marine Nationale, but every jump he put in he was getting a half-length or a length off the ones behind him and it all paid off in the end.”
Majborough’s masterclass was the second leg of a Grade One double for Mullins but the champion trainer was left with mixed emotions after the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
There was joy in seeing Kaid d’Authie finally transfer his impressive homework to the racetrack but bitter disappointment in seeing 3-10 favourite Final Demand, widely regarded as the banker of the entire Dublin Racing Festival, trail in last of the three finishers after an errant round of jumping.
Of the McManus-owned winner, returned at odds of 5-1, Mullins said: “He showed me a lot at home, I think putting on cheekpieces today made a huge difference, it brought out the sort of ability he shows me at home. He’s a horse who has always been disappointing on the racetrack but the cheekpieces made a big difference to him.”Â
Reflecting on Final Demand’s defeat, Mullins said: “He didn’t show the enthusiasm he normally does. I was disappointed with the way he jumped the second and third fence and especially coming down the back the second time, he missed the fifth last and when a horse does that in a race like that he’s got to improve quickly and he didn’t, he did the same at the next and that wasn’t good enough.”
However, having spoken with Paul Townend, Mullins did wonder if there might have been an excuse for such a lacklustre showing.
“Paul said he twisted a little it in the air, I didn’t see that but there might be some little niggle there that we are not seeing. But we might see it tomorrow morning.”Â
The opening race of the day, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle, was won by Cousin Kate, the Denis Hogan-trained daughter of Grade One-winning mare Augusta Kate, completing a hat-trick when scoring in the hands of talented 7lb claimer Michael Kenneally.
“She’ll be entered in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham,” Hogan said of the 13-2 shot, who shrugged off a mistake at the last to beat Dameauscottlestown by three-quarters of a length.Â
“She’ll be rated roughly 130 after today so she’s earned her entry. She’s on the improve and with these fillies, when they start to go that way, you just don’t know where they’ll end up.”
