Arkle Novices' Chase 2026 Runners

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The Arkle Novices' Chase is one of the Cheltenham Festival’s premier novice Grade 1s and the championship contest for the very best two-mile novice chasers in training. Run at a relentless pace and demanding sharp, accurate jumping, the Arkle is often where future Champion Chase contenders announce themselves on jump racing’s biggest stage.

First run in 1969, the race was created in honour of the legendary Arkle, one of the greatest steeplechasers in National Hunt history. Since then, it has developed into one of the most prestigious novice chases of the season, consistently producing elite winners who go on to achieve top-level success.

Run over 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 199 yards (3,199 metres) on Cheltenham’s Old Course, the Arkle Novices' Chase features 13 fences. Speed is crucial, but even more so is fluency at the fences, as a single jumping error can be ruthlessly punished in a contest often run at championship pace.

The race holds Grade 1 status and takes place on Wednesday 11th March 2026 during the Cheltenham Festival. It regularly attracts the strongest novice chase talent from Britain and Ireland, and is widely regarded as the ultimate two-mile novice test.

Notable Winners

• Sprinter Sacre – sensational winner in 2012 who later became a Champion Chase legend.
• Altior – Arkle winner in 2016, going on to dominate the two-mile division for years.
• Douvan – one of the most impressive Arkle winners of the modern era, landing the race in 2016.
• Edwardstone – winner in 2022, later proving himself at the very top level over two miles.

Key Race Details

• Race Type: Novice Championship Steeplechase
• Grade: Grade 1
• Distance: 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 199 yards (3,199 metres)
• Number of Fences: 13
• Location: Cheltenham Racecourse (Old Course)
• Date: Wednesday 11th March 2026 (Cheltenham Festival – Day Two)
• Prize Money: Typically over £175,000 in total prize fund (varies year-on-year)
• Inaugurated: 1969

The Arkle Novices' Chase remains one of the Cheltenham Festival’s most exciting spectacles, combining elite speed with high-pressure jumping at championship pace. It is the defining two-mile novice chase of the season — and a race that often shapes the future of the sport’s top chasers.