Majborough eyes Leopardstown redemption after Hilly Way disappointment

Majborough is eyeing redemption at Leopardstown over Christmas following disappointment in the Hilly Way Chase.

The five-year-old relinquished his position as Champion Chase favourite with more of the same jumping woes that plagued the back end of his novice chasing campaign.

Pushed out to 6/1 from 4/1 for the Wednesday feature at the Cheltenham Festival next March, the incredibly talented two-miler has some winning over to do before the spring rolls around.

Sent off the 4/6 favourite on his first start in open company, Mark Walsh popped out to make the running but it wasn’t long before alarm bells began to ring.

Majborough was safe and careful over his first four fences before bad habits started to creep in leading up to the fifth, drifting left on his approach and getting in tight.

From there it began to spiral – doing the same at his next five obstacles including a mistake at the eighth and a costly error at the second-last that allowed eventual winner Found A Fifty to take control.

His leap at the last under severe pressure was one of his better efforts, unable to drift left with the winner on his outside but his challenged petered out inside the final 110 yards in a big result for bookmakers on a day that saw five odds-on shots and all eight favourites beaten.

WATCH: Majborough pays the price for sticky jumping in the Hilly Way

Different season, same jumping frailties for Majborough 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/gh29UbN8FS

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 7, 2025

What’s next for Majborough?

Right-handed circuits like Cork will surely be a no go for the son of Martinborough until he starts to mature and brush up on his technique.

Mullins told Racing TV in the aftermath: “He seems to have lost his confidence. I don’t know whether more schooling can (iron it out), we’ll stay where we are (at two miles) for the time being.

“Fitness will be a big help for him. He just needs to improve his jumping to be competitive at that level. We’ll look at Christmas with him if he recovers well from this race.”

You couldn’t write him off on a more suitable track, though, and it sounds like Leopardstown is the plan next for the Grade 1 Paddy’s Reward Club Chase on December 27.

He won the Irish Arkle in a romp at that venue in February where he was untidy on occasion but never appeared to lose ground and going left-handed plays in his favour.

A general 9/4 chance for redemption in less than three weeks’ time, it looks worth paying to find out.

Reigning champion chaser Marine Nationale doesn’t set an insurmountable standard, especially coming here without a run – while Found A Fifty and Tingle Creek winner Il Etait Temps should pitch up elsewhere.

Closutton team could explore new tactics going forward

Majborough looks to somewhat lose his way when lonely in front after a prolonged period and in an attempt to keep a lid on him, new tactics could be deployed.

It’s easier said than done, of course, with a horse as buzzy and keen to get on with things as him – but there haven’t been any disastrous mistakes on occasions where he’s had a lead.

Things only started going wrong in the Arkle at Cheltenham when he took up the running after the fifth fence but the problem is he needs something to chase that’s going fast enough for his liking.

He took it up early on in the Irish Arkle and Barberstown Castle Novice Chase at Punchestown much sooner than Walsh might have liked.

It would be interesting to see how his jumping holds up from the rear, if at all possible – that’s something for Mullins and his team to discuss in the coming weeks.

On a left-handed track, his tendency to jump out that way isn’t too much of an issue but what really needs addressing is his indecisiveness approaching a fence.

He looks very unsure of what he actually wants to do, making rash, last minute decisions and a way to combat that could be taking a lead, allowing the horses in front to guide him along for as long as possible.

Mullins didn’t suggest it was anything like a lack of concentration from the horse. He is most certainly one to keep on side with his incredible ability and when putting it all together he has the potential to be one of the very best.