Majborough produced a coming-of-age performance to win Leopardstown's Ladbrokes Dublin Chase in emphatic fashion.
Trained by Willie Mullins for owner JP McManus, the talented six-year-old was sporting cheekpieces for the first time in Sunday's Grade 1 event and jockey Mark Walsh rode him with great confidence from the outset.
Majborough set out to make all the running and soon got into a lovely rhythm at the head of affairs, his jumping improving notably compared to his two previous starts earlier in the campaign, and he cruised into the home straight with his five rivals struggling to make any sort of impact.
The 5/4 favourite Marine Nationale did his best to reel him in under Sean Flanagan, but the 2/1 winner was long gone and, after another smooth leap at the last, came home 19 lengths to the good and sparked Paddy Power and Sky Bet to cut him to 11/8 favourite (NRNB) for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.
"Mark told me what he wanted to do and I said why not? But all credit to Mark Walsh," said Mullins.
"Today's plan worked and he was in some form. Mark got some jumps out of him. He went for every fence. Mark had confidence in the horse and the horse had confidence in Mark - and it was bang, bang, bang, it was terrific to watch. It's poetry in motion down the back and I was praying he had enough in the tank.
"It all paid off in the end. We're looking forward now, I'd imagine we'll be going across the water now. Onwards and upwards."
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