Memories of Majborough’s poor Cheltenham display 12 months ago leave Dan Skelton’s refreshed grey a live contender at around 9-2
The key question before the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday is which version of Majborough will turn up.
If it is the Majborough that powered 19 lengths clear of Marine Nationale, the Champion Chase winner last year but sadly absent this time, at Leopardstown in February, his likely price of around 5-6 will look like one of the bets of the meeting.
Majborough’s failure to justify short odds in the Arkle here 12 months ago is still painfully raw for his backers, however, and Willie Mullins’s chaser could be a favourite to take on, given the unforgiving nature of a race in which a single mistake can end a runner’s chance.
Il Etait Temps, a stable companion of the market leader, was the favourite for the race on Wednesday before his run in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, but he was already soundly beaten before taking a crashing fall two out and it remains to be seen if that has left a mark.
