'That's the real Majborough' - Mark Walsh completes a Grade 1 double

Majborough really got his act together over fences with a very impressive front-running performance to take the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase in runaway fashion and complete a Grade 1 double on the day for all connections at Leopardstown.

The Triumph Hurdle winner and Grade 1-winning novice over fences had failed to live up to expectations on his previous two outings this season but the application of cheekpieces and a return to setting the pace proved highly effective.

Mark Walsh’s mount had all his rivals in trouble after two out and galloped on strongly up the straight to beat 5/4 favourite Marine Nationale by 19 lengths. Found A Fifty was a head back in third, while course specialist Solness couldn’t get in a blow and was soundly beaten after three out.

Mullins said, “Mark Walsh was very adamant that he wanted them (cheekpieces) on and that he wanted to ride him his own way.

“We’d been telling him how to ride him one way and then someone else the next day. Mark said ‘I wanted to do it my way’. We failed so all credit to Mark Walsh. 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.

“When horses looked like they might swallow him up going down to the last Mark just gave him a squeeze and he picked up. 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.

“We’ve had a few funny days, but Mark got the tune out of him today and it was fantastic.”

Walsh said, “That’s the real Majborough today. In Cork he couldn’t go right-handed and here the last day I tried to hold him up behind horses and when I came in I said we were doing the wrong thing.

“His big stride is his biggest asset, so Willie rang me the other morning and said we’ll put cheekpieces on and let him roll in front. That made a man of him today.

“He was looking at what he was doing today. The second fence he came up out of my hands, and he has some power behind him.”

Paddy Power cut Majborough into 11/8 favourite (from 4/1) NRNB for the Champion Chase, while Marine Nationale was pushed out to 15/8 (from 11/8).

Quotes by Gary Carson