Majborough tops 10 chasing Queen Mother crown

Majborough heads a field of 10 for the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase for which Jonbon was not declared.

Having landed a Grade One double at Ascot in his last two races, most recently over two miles and five furlongs, Nicky Henderson had intimated he would wait for Aintree and even potentially step to to three miles for the Bowl.

However, with a Cheltenham Festival win still missing from Jonbon’s record and last week’s defection of 2025 winner Marine Nationale, Henderson was beginning to get tempted again.

In Majborough, though, owner JP McManus already has one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week based on his devastating display at the Dublin Racing Festival.

His trainer Willie Mullins also runs Il Etait Temps, who had been ante-post favourite for the race after beating Jonbon by nine lengths in the Tingle Creek but he fell at Ascot last time.

Henry de Bromhead runs 2024 winner Captain Guinness and Quilixios, who fell at the final fence last year on what was his most recent start.

L’Eau Du Sud, Libberty Hunter, Saint Segal, Brookie, Found A Fifty and the novice Irish Panther have also been declared.

A maximum field of 22 will go to post for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, with Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End the favourite.

Mullins has King Rasko Grey and Sober among his six runners while Gordon Elliott fields Ballyfad and Riskaway. Declan Queally’s I’ll Sort That is another notable Irish-trained challenger.

Henderson runs former Nicholls inmate Act Of Innocence and said: “I think this is a race where our team (Britain) is stronger and No Drama This End obviously sets a great standard.

“Our boy is pretty smart and we were trying him over a new trip at Huntingdon. Two and a half miles round Huntingdon bears no relation to two and a half round Cheltenham but he will get it and he has some toe as well, he’s a beautiful horse.”

The day’s other Grade One action is the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase where 16 will line up with perhaps the most notable name being De Bromhead’s Koktail Divin, who swerves the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap.

De Bromhead also runs The Big Westerner while Mullins fields six, including Final Demand, Kaid d’Authie and Kitzbuhel.

Romeo Coolio, Wendigo, Oscars Brother and Western Fold all run in an open renewal.

There are also maximum fields in the Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, the BetMGM Cup and the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.