Majborough’s Next Move: Why Mullins May Think Twice About the Champion Chase

Willie Mullins and JP McManus’ star young chaser Majborough may be rerouted after what was a very telling Hilly Way Chase at Cork, and avoiding the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham may be on the cards.

Over the weekend Willie Mullins rolled out some of his best horses, including two very promising chasers in Majborough and Il Etait Temps. Majbourough would face off against stable companion Energumene and Gordon Elliot’s Found A Fifty as the odds on favourite, but poor jumping once again led to the five year old being second to Found A Fifty, and concerns over a Champion Chase campaign had risen.

Last year poor jumping and a massive mistake at the last led to JP McManus' horse to finish second to Nicky Henderson’s very impressive Jango Baie in the Arkle Chase, and despite being runner up, all roads led to the Champion Chase this season.

The campaign would all start with the Hilly Way at Cork, a race Mullins loves to roll out his Champion Chasers, just like Energumene, Majborough was set to follow the same path. However, what was a very unflattering jumping performance may mean more time could be spent on improving his jumping, and with him still being young, Mullins may want to hold off on the Champion Chase, but here is why it is even more plausible.

Willie Mullins and his team always have a lot of very good chances in almost every big race at the Cheltenham Festival every year, but this year, what could arguably be their biggest hope is star chaser Il Etait Temps who showed very impressive signs at the end of last season, but has impressed even more now. The seven year old was sent to Sandown on Saturday in his bid to defeat Jonbon and Co. in the Tingle Creek grade one chase in which he did in easy fashion. The performance was flawless, and following Majborough’s underwhelming showing, Il Etait Temps is now 3/1 favourite for the Champion Chase, and looks like Mullins’ main Chasing hope.

As for Majborough, it looks like with age the jumping will just get better, and in the meantime, Il Etait Temps will be the guy for the Mullins team in the Champion Chase, and Majborough will just need time. As for JP McManus, Jonbon is still a targeted horse for him in the Champion Chase, leaving the door wide open for Mullins to redirect Majborough, and at the moment, given all the circumstances, everything just makes sense for Majborough to be steered away from the Champion Chase.