The first four home at Leopardstown over Christmas take each other on again in the Grade 1 Dublin Chase over two miles and a furlong on Sunday, 1 February. Prevailing on that occasion and 12 months ago here during the last Dublin Racing Festival was course and distance specialist Solness.
He defied a 242-day absence from the track to land the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase on reappearance for Joseph O’Brien. That race on the Southside of Dublin wasn’t without incident, however. Solness, a spare ride for Sam Ewing on the day after regular jockey JJ Slevin missed out through injury, was one of many to make mistakes. Some errors proved more serious than others, though.
While Solness wasn’t fluent jumping the second fence, Marine Nationale nearly lost his rider after the obstacle when jinking out to the right. Barry Connell’s star horse recovered from that, however, and came home a closing half-length second. Chances are that Marine Nationale has the primary aim of becoming a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, rather than this is as a target.
If he can capture the Dublin Chase of 2026 en route back to another successful raid on the Cotswolds, then all to the good. Connell is in the relatively unique position of both training and owning Marine Nationale, however. In other words, he has nobody else to answer to. The six remaining runners in the field at penultimate declarations all have someone else paying the bills.
Solness, a three-time Grade 1 winner at the track and trip, represents the Bronsan Racing syndicate who have also enjoyed major successes with the ill-fated Nurburgring when he landed the 2024 Galway Hurdle. This is their Gold Cup as the horse seems more comfortable on this flatter course than around the undulations of Cheltenham.
Majborough Must Brush up on Jumping or Tackle Longer Trips
Most of the Dublin Chase field this year are fully mature horses. With the exception of Willie Mullins’ two, they are either aged eight or nine. Energumene is long in the tooth as a 12-year-old for this assignment but, at the other end of the spectrum, last season’s Irish Arkle scorer Majborough is the young gun at six. Owned by JP McManus, he’s another of the Cheltenham horses using the DRF as his prep for March.
Despite being the leading owner on both sides of the Irish Sea for a number of years, McManus has never won a Queen Mother Champion Chase. Jonbon couldn’t do it, so the mantle now passes to 2024 Triumph Hurdle hero Majborough in his second season over fences. Far from fluent in this sphere so far, he largely got away with any mistakes until the English Arkle.
Majborough wasn’t only a beaten Cheltenham favourite then, but also has been on both of his starts this term so far. Mistakes remain persistent with him and the two-mile chasing division looks like coming down to whose jumping holds up best, not just in the Dublin Chase of 2026 but at all the subsequent spring festivals and major meetings. He has about three lengths to find with Solness here.
If Majborough, who turned around the Arkle form with Only By Night to the tune of some 14 lengths at Punchestown, can’t brush up his technique for fences, then it’s hard to see how he can win a big race over this distance. The Ryanair Chase on St Patrick’s Thursday would look the more logical target. The only problem is McManus has horses like Fact To File and Jonbon for that event already.
Other Targets for Found A Fifty, Only By Night Not Declared
Despite getting the better of Majborough in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December, Gordon Elliott and Bective Stud’s Found A Fifty made the most of receiving 4lb from that rival down in Mallow. Race fitness played a big part in that result with the nine-year-old fully tuned up following a second Fortria Chase success around local course Navan.
When Found A Fifty met Majborough again here at Leopardstown over Christmas off level weights, there was a different story. Elliott’s charge weakened out of things into fourth, but the more testing ground expected for the Dublin Chase of 2026 could prove a great leveller. It will certainly bring the stamina Found A Fifty possesses into play.
He’s won five Grade 2s in his career and the suspicion is that is probably his level. All the leading online Cheltenham bookmakers seem to share that view of Found A Fifty based on his price here. Connections may well be heading back to another local track of Elliott’s for the Fairyhouse Chase on Irish Grand National day.
Thriller!
Only By Night lands the G3 @Barberstown Castle Hotel chase @NaasRacecourse
Inthepocket & Mark Walsh both up đź‘Ť pic.twitter.com/VAZKd353uS
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 9, 2025
Gavin Cromwell hasn’t had anything like the fine season of last term during the current campaign. Only By Night trailed in even further behind Majborough and Found A Fifty, so it’s tough to see his latest star mare being able to land a blow on the Dublin Chase field. She does look very well-treated for hurdles when comparing her rating in that sphere to her mark over fences.
Off more than a stone-and-a-half (23lb) lower, it’s no wonder Only By Night is a leading contender for the mares only Listed handicap hurdle that opens Sunday’s card at the Dublin Racing Festival. Senecia completes the line-up after landing last season’s Webster Cup at Navan on heavy going.
Dublin Chase 2026 Shortlist & Verdict
There is a slight worry that connections of Solness won’t risk him in the conditions, but his track record speaks for itself. He can only improve for that reappearance win in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase. MARINE NATIONALE is a major threat, however, if he can put in a clear round, especially with the less from fluent Majborough prone to mistakes.
From the others, it’s possible that conditions will suit Found A Fifty with his stamina assured and get a lot closer to the McManus/Mullins combination than at Christmas. That being said, horses that win the Triumph Hurdle tend to want a trip as they age and things might be happening too quickly for both both Majborough and Found A Fifty even on rain-softened ground.
