Ireland’s strongest Arkle contenders are set to lock horns in Sunday’s Grade 2 Racing Post Novice Chase at Naas.
The current entries include Majborough and Ile Atlantique from the Willie Mullins stable, Firefox and Touch Me Not for Gordon Elliott, as well as Henry de Bromhead’s Inthepocket.
The two ante-post market leaders, Majborough (6/4) and Inthepocket (2/1) – both owned by billionaire tycoon JP McManus – are widely regarded as the Emerald Isle’s best hopes of lowering hot Arkle favourite Sir Gino’s colours at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Triumph Hurdle hero Majborough entered the equation with an impressive performance on chase debut at Fairyhouse last month, making light work of stablemates Tullyhill and Asian Master – who are no slouches by any means.
WATCH: Triumph winner Majborough impresses on chase debut at Fairyhouse
Inthepocket ran away a 15-length winner of his beginners chase at Wexford in October and further improvement is expected from the eight-year-old at a well-suited, left-handed track like Naas.
The County Kildare course features a stiff uphill finish which favours staying types – and there will be no concerns over Inthepocket’s stamina considering he won here over hurdles at two-and-a-half miles in December 2022.
As per the best horse racing betting sites, Majborough (9/2) is the better fancied of the pair to win the Arkle at Cheltenham later this year but odds of 10/1 look considerably more appealing for Inthepocket.
De Bromhead’s gelding missed most of the 2023/24 season with a ‘minor issue’ but he appears stronger than ever and there’s every chance fences could be the making of this horse who holds incredible potential.
If McManus gives the all-clear for both horses in his famous green and gold hoops to run against each other, this may prove to be one of the pre-Cheltenham clashes of the season.
It seems Inthepocket is the more likelier runner of the pair considering the current cloud over Mullins’ Closutton stable but despite that, he recorded six winners across the cards at Tramore and Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.
WATCH: Inthepocket returns in style with easy beginners chase victory at Wexford
Firefox could be seen to better effect for Elliott under a positive ride where he can really test the jumping of those in behind him, but as pointed out by Johnny Dineen on Upping The Ante this week, Naas is a track with large gaps between fences and it may not be his cup of tea.
Last year’s crop of the best two-mile novice hurdlers look a fairly average bunch considering Supreme winner Slade Steel’s back-to-back defeats in his first two starts over fences.
Firefox got off the mark nicely over the bigger obstacles at Down Royal in November at two-and-a-half miles, but disappointed at that trip in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse last month – so the drop back to two miles may play to his strengths.
The other Cullentra contender, Touch Me Not, was last seen finishing a decent second to Dan Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud (14/1 for the Arkle) at Sandown in December – beaten under four lengths despite taking a few fences with him.
Ile Atlantique looks an unlikely runner following comments from owner Tony Bloom’s racing manager Sean Graham, who admitted they will look at a novice chase in mid-to-late January instead.
His future looks to be over at least two-and-a-half miles, so ante-post odds of 5/1 are difficult to take seeing as the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over three miles is probably his target in March.
Racing Post Novice Chase Odds (Naas – January 5th, 2025)
- Majborough 6/4
- Inthepocket 2/1
- Firefox 4/1
- Ile Atlantique 5/1
- Touch Me Not 6/1
- Only By Night 10/1
- Ifiwerearichman 50/1
- Kilbarry Saint 66/1
- Walk In Time 150/1
