Majborough - 'He's a monster, isn't he?'

Majborough put himself firmly in the frame for an epic clash with Sir Gino at Cheltenham after he blitzed his rivals in the Grade 1 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

He was a shade keen in picking up an early lead and missed a few of his fences, however, only Touch Me Not could live with his long stride on the run to the second-last fence.

Majborough really cranked up the pace to 35mph sweeping round the home turn and Touch Me Not was burnt off before the last.

The 8/11 favourite, Majborough, jumped it clear and had the field spreadeagled. Mark Walsh was able to ease him down in the closing stages as the pair won by nine lengths.

Touch Me Not ran a brave race in second at 12/1. Firefox and Ile Atlantique couldn't land a blow in third and fifth respectively.

Willie Mullins said: "It was very good, fantastic.

“I was looking at it from the stands, whereas everyone else was looking at it on the TV. The whole crowd were going ‘ooh and aah’ every time he got close to one but watching it from the side he never looked in danger, never looked like falling. The camera does lie now and again.”

On his big jump three from home he added: “That sort of put it to bed. Mark was happy all the time, sitting in the saddle. I never thought that Mark thought there were any problems.

“He pulled him wide coming to the last and did what he had to do.

“That was Plan B. Plan A was to settle in behind one or two, but Mark said when the flag went down he just saw the first fence and took off and he didn’t want to interfere with him.

“I was surprised to see him in the position he was jumping the second, third and fourth, but Mark was very happy that the horse wanted to be there.

“He said he gave him a squeeze coming up to the winning post and there was plenty in the tank, which is a fair thing to say after running at that pace for two-miles-and-one around here.

“He’s always been a standout, for me, of his generation. We had Fact To File the year before, this fella this year and Final Demand is now the younger generation coming on.

“They are nice horses to have.”

On the potential Arkle clash with Sir Gino he said:- “Hopefully, we all get there.

“Look at Anzadam during the week, he won so well in Naas and got a little injury, a little bone chip that we have to take out. These things happen, they are fragile.”

Walsh added: "He's a monster, isn't he? The size of him.

"He just does everything so easy - he actually felt like he was hacking around there, but we were going a good gallop and I knew that.

"He has just such a big, powerful stride and he has such a high-cruising speed -it is just so easy to him.

"He made a few mistakes because we were going on a stride. It is only his second run over fences, so he is going to learn.

"He wasn't a tired horse finishing, he galloped all the way to the line.

"He is very exciting. I'm delighted with him."

This brought up a double for Mullins who also took the opening race with Final Demand. He was the second leg of a brace for Walsh who won the Listed handicap hurdle on Perceval Legallois

Majborough won a Fairyhouse beginners' chase in December for Mullins.

Paddy Power make Majoborough 2/1 from 11/4 for the Arkle, while they eased Sir Gino from 8/13 favourite to 4/5 favourite (non runner no bet).

Additional reporting by Gary Carson