Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Majborough to show his best at Leopardstown

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews a super Saturday of racing from Chepstow, Kempton and Leopardstown.

Chepstow, Saturday

The Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle (1:40pm) looks a tricky race with two potentially really smart performers at the head of the market. Macktoad couldn’t have won any more impressively than he did at Sandown on stable debut, but both the second and third from that race were beaten on their only starts in France, so it’s hard to know the value of the form. MANLAGA was impressive when winning on her only start in France, at Auteuil back in March. The horse that finished third to her there has since been beaten twice, but the fourth horse has won two Grade 3s, so there looks to be a bit of substance to the form. As a filly, she gets weight from Macktoad and being by Maxios, she shouldn’t have a problem with soft ground. It’s a hard race to weigh up, but at the prices, I think she offers more value than Macktoad.

You can make cases for many in a competitive renewal of the Welsh Grand National (2:50pm). For me, JUBILEE EXPRESS has the strongest claims of all after winning the trial for this race earlier in the month and he runs here under only a four-pound penalty. Sam Thomas trained Iwilldoit to win the trial and then go on to land the Welsh National four years ago, so this is a proven path, and as a locally trained horse he’s sure to have been aimed at this race. He finished second to Val Dancer in this race last year and is only four pounds higher in the handicap now. This track and conditions suit him, and he’s the one I’d want to be on.

Kempton, Saturday

Lump Sum is an obvious starting point in the in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase (1:55pm). While he put in a good performance to finish third behind Lulamba at Sandown last time, I think that form should be treated with a degree of caution. That points me instead towards MAMBONUMBERFIVE, who was a winner of the Adonis Hurdle around Kempton last season. He’s won two competitive handicaps since being sent chasing this season, and it looks like he’s learnt to settle in his races, as he was often keen as a juvenile. He jumps well and has the four-year-old allowance here. I think he is a horse that is on the improve.

THISTLE ASK has gone up a stone in the handicap after winning the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter last time, but it might not stop him from going on to land the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (2:30pm). He beat the reopposing Saint Segal into second at Exeter and that horse has come out and won well since, while he was well clear of JPR One in third. It’s a lot harder to go from the front around Exeter than it is at Kempton, as Kempton is more of a frontrunners’ track. He’s won at Musselburgh and Wetherby in the past, so I think this flat track should suit him and his style of racing, which could help him defy his latest rise in the weights.

Leopardstown, Saturday

I’m sweet on MAJBOROUGH in the first of Leopardstown’s Grade 1s, the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase (1:12pm). He got beaten on his return at Cork by Found A Fifty, when his jumping looked rusty. He’s a big horse though, and when he attempts to correct himself at a fence he angles slightly left, so his jumping did fall apart going right-handed at Cork. Despite that, and the fact it was his first run back and he was giving four pounds to Found A Fifty, he was still only beaten two lengths. Although he made some bad jumping errors in the Arkle, and his jumping has been questioned, I don’t think it is that bad, and he will be better going left-handed at Leopardstown. It’s natural for horses to be straighter when their going their preferred way round, and with the run now under his belt, I think he’ll be hard to beat. Marine Nationale looks his main danger and he is obviously a high-class horse, as a Champion Chase winner at Cheltenham and Punchestown. However, he was well beaten at odds-on on his return to action last season and might improve for this run.

LE DIVIN ENFANT might be the one in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle (1:47pm). He demolished his rivals on debut for Willie Mullins at Thurles, winning by 23 lengths with 35 lengths back to the third-placed horse. He jumped brilliantly, and you would have to be very impressed by that. He had some interesting form in France too, finishing fourth behind Lulamba in Auteuil back in October 2024. Skylight Hustle was also a wide-margin winner last time, but he was beaten on his hurdles debut and in a bumper too, so he potentially showed some limitations there.

The Paddy Power Chase (3:00pm) is hugely competitive as usual with 28 runners set to line-up. WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT finished a good second in the Munster National on his last start in October. Limerick is a very sharp track, but he stayed on well from off the pace there, and I think this stiffer track is going to suit him better. Although he has only won once over fences, he has a lot of good placed form, so I wouldn’t question him in that regard. His win came at Doncaster on good ground, and conditions might not be too dissimilar at Leopardstown with the ground drying out. They tend to go an end-to-end gallop in this race, which will suit Weveallbeencaught as he has plenty of stamina and experience in big field handicaps, and I think he can finish to good effect here.