Cheltenham 2025: Take 9/1 about future Gold Cup prospect

Another week, another antepost tip for Cheltenham 2025 - and it's another from the superstar factory otherwise known as Closutton that's written into the book.

Around this time last year, I put up Fact To File at 16/1 for the defunct Turners Novices' Chase. He went on to win at the Cheltenham Festival, but unfortunately not the race I suggested him for.

There was immense hype behind him and my theory was that due to his lack of experience as a bumper horse going straight over fences after just three runs under rules, Willie Mullins and JP McManus would take a 'softer' approach instead of tackling three miles in the Brown Advisory so early in his career. Ultimately, I was wrong.

Now, just over 12 months later, I'm chancing they follow suit with Triumph Hurdle hero MAJBOROUGH.

Like his stablemate, this four-year-old son of Martinborough is the apple of his trainer's eye. Mullins has never shied away from letting the public know how highly he regards this horse - since the day he entered Closutton, he's been subject to rave reviews.

"Every time I see him I think Gold Cup, not Triumph Hurdle, he’s just a magnificent beast," he said back in February, days after Majborough finished third in the G1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown on his debut for new connections.

Given that was his first run in over 300 days and just the second of his career, it was a huge performance to get within two lengths of stablemate Kargese, who was race-fit and significantly more experienced.

That form was of course reversed at the Festival the following month, as Majborough powered a length and a half clear of the filly, who had the rest of the field a further four lengths adrift.

Immediately after, Mullins was already thinking about his future over fences. He told reporters: "He's a chaser, isn't he? When he came into the yard and they said he was our Triumph Hurdle horse, I couldn't believe it. I said I thought he looked like a Gold Cup horse, a three-mile chaser."

He added: "When he comes in from a summer's grass, he will be some beast."

Don't count your chickens, but it's since been 'confirmed' in a recent stable tour with Sporting Life that Majborough will indeed go novice chasing this term. Mullins also provided a bit of a hint about his target, saying "he shouldn't have any problem going out in trip."

His route to Cheltenham 2025 is hard to predict, but his target should - being the key word - be easier. The Arkle and the Brown Advisory are his two options since the removal of the 2m4f novice chase, and I firmly believe it'll be the latter.

First of all, Mullins can't talk about him without dreaming of Gold Cups or calling him a stayer. Also, I thought he needed every yard of 2m1f, on the New Course, in the Triumph, and the Arkle is a furlong shorter on the Old Course.

On top of all that, and arguably most importantly, JP McManus already has a live Arkle contender in Inthepocket. He set a serious marker for that race last month and I can't imagine he'll be stepping up in trip any time soon. I think it suggests as much that Henry de Bromhead has tipped Supreme hero Slade Steel to start his chasing career over 2m4f...

If I'm right, I think highly-competitive odds of 9/1 is serious value.

I don't think much of last season's novice hurdlers outside of Ballyburn, who heads the antepost betting for the Brown Advisory at time of publication.

I'd make the Arkle a more-likely destination for him - and if reports are to be believed a decision is yet to be made on whether he even goes chasing. Recent entries in the Morgiana and Hatton's Grace added fuel to that fire.

Ignoring him, I think it's a very modest list. Dancing City, Stellar Story, The Jukebox Man, Caldwell Potter - these are fine horses, but Majborough looks a special horse. He could be a cut above.

Take the 9/1 now is my advice.

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