The Champion Chase is all about Majborough. He is the best horse in the race, but he is not perfect.
Mark Walsh had insisted he wanted to put cheekpieces on and make the running last time. He got his way at the Dublin Racing Festival and boy did it work. Setting his stall out early to make the running, Walsh didn’t falter when JJ Slevin and the frontrunning Solness challenged for the lead. He had his plan and was sticking to it.
From the second fence on, Solness was put in his place. Majborough was sent forward, positive, aggressively ridden to his fences. His jumping was special, take the sight out of your eye. On previous occasions, his jumping would have had you covering those same eyes.
It was a special performance that saw him come home 19 lengths clear of last year’s Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale. Jumping errors cost him the Arkle here last year among others. He jumps and runs keen, which doesn’t help his rider. Maybe they have found the tactic now.
If that Leopardstown fluency does not flow there will be plenty tagging to his tail, ready to punish. L’Eau Du Sud was sublime in the Shloer over course and distance but didn’t back that up in the Tingle Creek, a light-framed horse, who won’t be bothered by drying ground.
Il Etait Temps had been racking up an impressive sequence, including said Tingle Creek, but he too faltered last time, falling when well held in the Clarence House at Ascot.
Irish Panther is an interesting runner. He has only had two starts over fences, winning a beginners' chase and second in Grade One Novice company at Christmas. The father-and-son training partnership of Eddie and Patrick Harty have elected to skip the Arkle and go for the senior race and this could turn out to be a smart move, avoiding the calibre of Kopek Des Bordes, Lulamba and surprise winner Kargese.
Not even with the help of AI have I been able to find a novice chaser to have won the Champion Chase. To make it even more astounding is that only having recorded his first hurdle win in October, he is also a novice in that division. A novice hurdler with a chance in the Champion Chase!
Gone be the Paul Nicholls glory days, teaming up with Ruby Walsh and fantastic horses; Master Minded, Kauto Star, Denman and Big Bucks to name but a few. He has been lacking a star for some time. He has not been lacking purchasing power, though, and he is nothing if not relentless.
Might he have one this year?
No Drama This End has been the most impressive novice hurdler in the UK this year. His third success came in the Challow Hurdle, not a vintage renewal, but he won a shade cosily with a confident Harry Cobden just nudging enough from his mount with bigger days in mind.
The bookies think that is the best form on offer but the handicapper thinks otherwise, rating three of the Irish runners higher. The Gordon Elliott pair of Skylight Hustle and Ballyfad, along with Willie Mullins’ King Rasko are well ahead on the book. They’ve all shown form at Leopardstown and the more competitive action here gives them an edge in terms of racing experience.
The lack of depth in UK novice chasing is evident in the 3m1f Brown Advisory as the home team provide only three of the 13 runners. One is Wendigo with decent chance for Jamie Snowden. Romeo Coolio looks versatile trip-wise. Having been great to watch over the minimum trip he has gone for a big step up in distance.
I’m sure Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes swayed that decision also. Final Demand looked like the next coming on debut at Navan, absolutely flawless.
Full of flaws, however, when a well-beaten third by Kaid D’authie, who opposes once more. If Final Demand can put that behind him, he could yet be special. Let’s hope he is.
