Tag Archive for: Irish Arkle

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

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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.

Majborough and jockey Mark Walsh
Majborough and jockey Mark Walsh (Damien Eagers/PA)

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.”

El Fabiolo just fabulous under Daryl Jacob in Irish Arkle.

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Daryl Jacob gave El Fabiolo a perfect ride to win the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown for Willie Mullins.

Mullins held an enviable hand in race with Appreciate It, Dysart Dynamo, Flame Bearer and Saint Roi giving the champion trainer a stranglehold on the Grade One.

The Mullins camp all seemed to side with Appreciate It, with Paul Townend making him his selection after two faultless victories over fences.

But the nine-year-old, who has missed so much time with various injuries, found younger legs too much to handle in a contest that was run at a ferocious pace.

That was set by Danny Mullins on Dysart Dynamo and after only four fences good horses like Fil Dor and Visionarian were a long way behind.

El Fabiolo (9-2) did make a bad mistake three from home, but Jacob allowed him time to get back into his rhythm and by the second-last he was in pole position.

As he began to pull away, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge began to stay on strongly and he eventually got by Appreciate It and Dysart Dynamo to finish second, but some 10 lengths away.

The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned winner went down narrowly to Jonbon over hurdles at Aintree last season and those two now dominate the betting for the Arkle at Cheltenham next month, with Betfair making Jonbon their 13-8 favourite ahead of El Fabiolo at 2-1 (from 7s).

“He’s just improving all the time. At the start of the year we were thinking maybe we should go out to two and a half (miles), but what he did at Christmas and again today it’s definitely the Arkle,” said Mullins.

El Fabiolo was still full of beans on returning to the paddock
El Fabiolo was still full of beans on returning to the paddock (Donall Farmer/PA)

“You could see every horse had a chance at different stages of the race. The one negative (was) when we made the mistake, but Daryl blamed himself for that, he said it wasn’t the horse’s fault.

“Then he came back on the bridle again and I thought ‘this horse is travelling’ and he just did everything right.

“Some very good horses were second, third and fourth so to win 10 lengths in that type of a race, he’s goes to Cheltenham with a real good chance.”

Simon Munir greets Daryl Jacob
Simon Munir greets Daryl Jacob (Gary Carson/PA)

On the owners he added: “They both (Munir and Souede) have a great appetite for the game and enjoy it. They both travelled a long way to be here at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend so it’s fantastic that they’ve had a Grade One winner.”

Munir said: “I was very impressed. It’s only the sixth run of his life, so we don’t really know how good he is.

“We’re on a roll at the moment, but it’s still a long long season.”

Souede said: “We were very excited and we actually think the best is yet to come with this horse because he’s not that experienced.”