'Both have great chances' says Mullins as Majborough faces toughest task yet against stablemate Ile Atlantique

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Willie Mullins goes for his fifth straight Irish Arkle win but not since Energumene triumphed at odds of 5-6 in 2021, has Mullins had a winning favourite in the race. El Fabiolo and Il Etait Temps beat their shorter-priced stablemates Appreciate It and Facile Vega when providing Mullins with his last two victories in this Grade 1.

That may well be a good omen for supporters of Ile Atlantique, who looks likely to be the outsider of the two stable runners here, and second favourite for the race.

Why is he not favourite is a fair question to ask. Perhaps the memory of the free-running, weak-finishing Ile Atlantique is still fresh in the memory from last season's novice hurdle campaign, which did fade in the second half of the season. However, two runs over fences would appear to suggest that this season's model is somewhat different.

After bolting up in a good beginners' chase at Navan in December, he followed up in even better style when winning a Grade 2 at Naas when comfortably accounting for the reopposing Firefox by five lengths. One thing jumping fences has done is take away his propensity to race too keenly, and he looks a different horse for it.

Up against him is stablemate Majborough, who has raced only three times for Closutton. On the second of them he won the Triumph Hurdle. On his third start for Mullins he made his chasing debut in December at Fairyhouse, where he readily accounted for his talented but frustrating stable companion Tullyhill. He will be better back on a left-handed circuit and is an exciting prospect for owner JP McManus. It is quite difficult to see anything outside of those two winning.

Firefox has plenty of upside about him, his jumping being one of those aspects, but the Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old would have more convincing claims over a longer trip and there is no reason why he should turn around the Naas form with Ile Atlantique. His stable companion Touch Me Not is an honest and progressive performer, having finished second in a Grade 1 at Sandown in December, but just falls short.

Short is certainly not a description which applies to Jeannot Lapin. Winner of a beginners' chase here at Christmas at odds of 150-1, the £3,000 purchase might just be the biggest horse in training, and could outrun his likely odds again.
Analysis by Justin O'Hanlon

Majborough and Ile Atlantique do battle for Mullins

Willie Mullins holds a strong hand in his bid for a fifth successive Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase as Majborough and Ile Atlantique lock horns for the champion trainer.

Majborough has achieved plenty in just three starts for Closutton and put in a strong staying performance to defeat stablemate Kargese in the Triumph Hurdle last season. Fences were always likely to play to the imposing five-year-old's strengths and so it proved when he landed a strong beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in December, beating Tullyhill and Asian Master, who both contested the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last season.

This race has been in the pipeline since. Mullins said: "We waited for this race with Majborough after he won at Fairyhouse on his chasing debut. We’ll know how good he is after this and he’s going well at home."

Le Richebourg in 2019 was the last horse to carry the JP McManus silks to victory in the race and Majborough will prove a hot favourite to follow suit but will have to contend with a stablemate who seems to have made big strides forward over fences.

Ile Atlantique will bid to emulate Energumene (2021) by landing this contest in Tony Bloom's blue and white colours. He was just short of the top level as a novice hurdler but seems to have improved markedly for a fence and beat the reopposing Firefox in authoritative fashion in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Naas last time.

He has proved his versatility with regards to trip, landing his beginners' chase over 2m4½f before his victory at Naas over 2m and Mullins is confident that will stand him in good stead.

"Ile Atlantique won over two and a half and two mile one [furlong] so this trip won’t be a bother to him. I think the fast pace will suit him and both have great chances."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Firefox and Touch Me Not
Firefox is tough and consistent and hopefully the ground will be better than it was at Naas. He'll be so much better on better ground. He's not out of this. Touch Me Not jumped brilliant at Punchestown, but just got a fright at Sandown. If he jumps the way he did at Punchestown, he'll make them all go.

Ile Atlantique: won well for trainer Willie Mullins and owner Tony Bloom

Firefox (right): bids to reverse the form of his defeat to Ile Atlantique (left) last timeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Patrick Neville, trainer of Here Comes Georgie
He was good at Ascot and we were delighted with him, it's why we came here. The lads who own him [Hold My Beer Syndicate] are from Dublin and they're all happy to be here. We're letting him take his chance and although it's a big ask, he's in great form and is two from two over fences this season.
Reporting by Conor Fennelly

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