“ALL credit to Mark Walsh,” said Willie Mullins after the pair completed a Grade 1 double for J.P. McManus with the best version of an unpredictable Majborough in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.

For the market, the brilliance that Majborough had shown in the past overshadowed any disappointing efforts, including when third last time out behind Solness over course and distance at Christmas. With cheekpieces employed for the first time on Sunday, the three-time Grade 1 winner was sent off 2/1, while Marine Nationale headed the market at 5/4, despite ground concerns.

It was clear from the beginning which version of Majborough had turned up today, he and Walsh a joy to watch out in front, with little chance of being reined in as he turned for home with a clear advantage. A perfect jump at the last sealed victory, with the six-year-old going on to beat the favourite by 19 lengths, while Found A Fifty lost out on second by a head.

“That is more like it,” a delighted, and perhaps somewhat relieves, Mullins commented. “Mark Walsh was adamant he wanted cheekpieces on and that he wanted to ride him his own way, because we’d been telling him to ride him one way and then something else the next day.

“It was terrific. You could see Mark was enjoying it and the horse was enjoying it with him. It was just poetry in motion down the back. I was afraid he might not have enough in the tank from the second last but Mark told me there that he had plenty in the tank.

“At every jump, he was just getting a half length or a length on the rest of them, and it all paid off in the end.”

Last year’s winner Solness had ended Mullins’ unbeaten record in the Dublin Chase, and Sunday’s success brings his tally to eight, won by five horses.

For Walsh, it was a first win in the race. On his second winner of the day, the rider reported: “He has such a big stride, it’s his biggest asset. Putting on cheekpieces and letting him roll along in front was the best thing that ever happened him, because it made a man of him today. He has such power behind him. That’s the real Majborough we saw today.”

Majborough’s return to form earned him 11/8 favouritism for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, having previously been a 4/1 shot.