Tony McFadden provides the Timeform ratings reaction to the Dublin Racing Festival, including Majborough's stunning 19-length win in the Dublin Chase.
Chasers
Majborough (179 from 166)
The pick of the performances at the Dublin Racing Festival - indeed the best performance this season by Timeform's reckoning - was posted by Majborough in the Dublin Chase.
Majborough had been let down by his jumping when runner-up on his reappearance in the Hilly Way Chase and had raced too freely when third in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase, but the application of cheekpieces and a more positive ride helped him to put it all together and deliver a top-class display in the Dublin Chase.
The style of Majborough's 19-length success impressed on the eye and was also backed up by the clock. His timefigure of 179 is the highest awarded in the last five seasons, matching the figure Allaho twice achieved in the Ryanair Chase.
Majborough was awarded a Timeform rating to match his timefigure and is now 7 lb ahead of Tingle Creek winner Il Etait Temps among Timeform's top-rated two-milers, while he's 5 lb ahead of Fact To File among all chasers in training.
A rating of 179 is the same that three-time Dublin Chase winner Chacun Pour Soi achieved at his peak, and identifies Majborough as of similar calibre to Altior (180), Energumene (180) and Shishkin (181) at their best.
Fact To File (174 from 170)
Fact To File barely threatened in the King George VI Chase but quickly put that effort behind him to run out an impressive winner of the Irish Gold Cup, propelling himself to the head of the staying chase division on Timeform's ratings.
Fact To File had shown that he's a chaser of rare ability when slamming his rivals by nine lengths in the Ryanair Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival. However, that effort had come over an extended two and a half miles, after he had seemingly been outstayed by Galopin des Champs in the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup. He thoroughly saw out the three-mile trip on Monday, though, producing his strongest display of stamina yet in a well-run race on testing ground that provided a stern examination (replay below).
His performance has been rated by Timeform as the best in the Irish Gold Cup this century.
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Novice chasers
Romeo Coolio (159p from 158p)
Only three went to post for the Irish Arkle and there was a slow-motion finish with Romeo Coolio just clinging on by a neck from the rallying Kargese (151 from 147p), but Timeform has taken a positive view of the pair, who pulled a long way clear of one who had shown borderline smart form in handicap company on his previous outing.
Romeo Coolio, who was conceding 7 lb to the mare Kargese, was outpaced after his main rival quickened two out, but he ground his way to the front, showing admirable resilience, before possibly idling and needing the line.
That performance has been rated of similar quality to his emphatic victory in the Drinmore Novice Chase and he narrowly sits at the head of Timeform's novice chase ratings, though Lulamba (158P) has created an excellent impression on both starts over fences and has the Timeform Large P to suggest he's likely to improve significantly.
Kaid d'Authie (157p from 149p)
Final Demand's flop, having been sent off the 30/100 favourite, was the big talking point of the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, but Kaid d'Authie still deserves credit for a very smart performance that places him towards the head of the novice chase rankings.
Kaid d'Authie had been beaten by subsequent Kauto Star Novices' Chase winner Kitzbuhel when a promising second on his chasing debut at Punchestown, and he built on that to run out a wide-margin winner at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day. He stepped up again at Leopardstown where he travelled and jumped with more fluency than Final Demand and always looked in control after jumping on at the second last.
He looks likely to stay three miles and could bid to emulate the same connections' Fact To File who won the Brown Advisory after also landing the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
Kaid d'Authie's performance has been rated as similar quality to those put up in the race by recent winners Ballyburn (158) and Mighty Potter (158). Monkfish and Galopin des Champs (both 167) produced the best performances in the race this century.
Novice hurdlers
Talk The Talk (remains 148p)
Talk The Talk went into the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle as the pick of the Irish in the division, behind only Nicky Henderson's Old Park Star (155p) in the overall pecking order, and he consolidated that status with a better performance than the bare result would suggest.
Talk The Talk only won by a short head, just nabbing the front runner, Ballyfad, on the line, but he deserves plenty of credit for making up so much ground in a steadily-run contest, and a more truly-run affair on spring ground at Cheltenham is likely to bring out even more from him.
He's unlucky not to be unbeaten in four starts over hurdles as he looked set to land the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle over Christmas only to fall at the final flight when in a narrow lead.
Doctor Steinberg (147p from 143p)
Talk The Talk is only narrowly the highest-rated Irish novice hurdler, however, as Doctor Steinberg also posted a smart performance when winning the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Doctor Steinberg had won the Navan Novice Hurdle on his previous start - the form of which was given a boost by Thedeviluno recently - and he took another step forward to complete his hat-trick at Leopardstown, displaying a good mix of speed and stamina to draw eight lengths clear of Kazansky (138p from 133p).
He was unsurprisingly cut for both the Turners and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, with Timeform's reporter identifying the Turners, over two miles and five furlongs, as the more suitable option for a horse with his attributes. Doctor Steinberg's victory at Leopardstown was deemed of similar merit to Final Demand's wide-margin win in the same race 12 month earlier.
Kazansky (138p from 133p) was no match for Doctor Steinberg but he did his Albert Bartlett claims no harm, sticking to his task pleasingly in the style of one who will be suited by the stamina test at Cheltenham. The form he showed would see him go close to making the frame in a typical edition of the Albert Bartlett.
Narciso Has (142p from 140p)
Narciso Has was already Timeform's highest-rated juvenile hurdle prior to the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown on Monday and cemented his position at the head of the division with a professional display, not needing to improve much on the form he had shown over the same course and distance over Christmas.
As was the case on his previous start, Narciso Has jumped fluently and kept on strongly when asked for his effort, leaving the impression that he'll benefit from the slightly longer trip and stiffer test in the Triumph Hurdle.
He was beaten by Mange Tout on his first start for Willie Mullins but, on 4 lb worse terms, comprehensively turned that form around at the Dublin Racing Festival to mark himself out as clearly the one to beat in the division.
Also read:
Timeform Takeaway: Top-drawer performance from Majborough
Timeform Takeaway: Reaction to Fact To File's stunning win
Cheltenham Festival betting: Key market movers from the Dublin Racing Festival
David Ord: Reaction from the track on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival
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