Majborough bolts up in Irish Arkle to send message to Sir Gino

Majborough laid down a marker to Sir Gino when destroying the opposition in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

While far from foot-perfect, the five-year-old undoubtedly has a huge engine and Willie Mullins will be looking forward to taking on Nicky Henderson’s current favourite for the Arkle at Cheltenham next month.

Majborough won the Triumph Hurdle last season, when Sir Gino was an absentee, and the two now look on course to finally clash on the opening day of this year’s festival, barring accidents.

Mark Walsh was keen to ensure there would be no hiding place on the 8-11 favourite but there was the odd hairy moment on the way round, albeit without him ever looking like he would fall.

With stablemate Ile Atlantique seemingly unable to go the gallop set by his younger companion, only Gordon Elliott’s Touch Me Not was ever within touching distance.

When Walsh asked Majborough to stretch rounding the home turn, the race was over and he went on to win by nine lengths.

Betfair cut the winner to 9-4 from 3-1 for the Arkle and eased Sir Gino to 5-6 from 4-6.

“It was very good, fantastic,” said Mullins.

“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.”

Mullins went on: “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, Mullins commented: “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.”