A disappointing turnout of just five runners for the Arkle Chase of 2025 is down to the presence of the greatly-feared Majborough. JP McManus has never won the two-mile Grade 1 novice chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but shouldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth.
Up until February, this looked like producing one of the clashes of the meeting. It was all set for an epic duel at Cheltenham races between Majborough and Sir Gino. A clash the sport missed out on in the Triumph Hurdle last year.
A season-ending infection means no Sir Gino. Rather than encourage further participation, Majborough has most of the initial Arkle entries running scared. Why be afraid of one horse?
Other connections fear him so much, because he’s already doubled his Grade 1 tally after posting very favourable Cheltenham results in 2024. Majborough impressed on his bow over fences, then followed up in the Irish Arkle.
It has proved a major indicator of winners of this English equivalent in recent years. Mullins now tries to complete yet another double in the Arkle Chase of 2025 after successes for Un De Sceaux, Douvan and Footpad.
Make no mistake, at this still very early point in his career, Majborough is the great white hope for the two-mile chasing division. Whether his future lies over further in time as he matures remains to be seen, but right now Cheltenham betting sites can’t see past him for Arkle glory.
A couple of slight errors in the Irish version amounts to nit-picking. With 6lb and upwards in hand over the field, according to BHA ratings, Majborough should win. What meagre opposition dares be so insolent as to take him on needs looking at.
Skelton & Henderson Horses Head Dangers in Arkle Chase of 2025
According to the Cheltenham odds, official Arkle Trial winner L’Eau Du Sud should give Majborough most to think about. Dan Skelton has transformed this so-nearly story from handicap hurdles into three-time graded winner over fences.
Runner-up in both the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and County Hurdle during the Festival last year, L’Eau Du Sud has a flawless four from four record since switching to the larger obstacles. He travelled strongly and jumped well in the official Arkle Trial here in December.
L’Eau Du Sud then followed up in Grade 1 company in the Henry VIII at Sandown, before giving weight and a length beating to subsequent Pendil winner Rubaud around Warwick. Most of those events have been small fields, but so is the Arkle Chase in 2025 after all.
Another course winner in Jango Baie deputises for Sir Gino down in trip for Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows stable. He has more Arkle wins than Mullins, but may find this a bit on the sharp side after his good victory here over two-and-a-half miles earlier in the season.
With that form franked by Springwell Bay, who won a Premier Handicap on New Year’s Day, Jango Baie has claims. The trouble is the subsequent hard race at Sandown on heavy ground. That gruelling Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase missing out by a short-head surely leaves a mark.
Gavin Cromwell mare Only By Night has done little wrong in landing her three starts over fences. She receives weight all-round in the Arkle Chase of 2025 and that could prove key, whatever official figures say.
Touch Me Not for Gordon Elliott completes the line-up, but has something to find with both Majborough and L’Eau Du Sud. This looks like a coronation for another of the Cheltenham favourites unless the fences get in Majborough’s way.
