Race two of the first day of Cheltenham Festival sees the chasers take to the old course in the Arkle as Gaelic Warrior dominates the betting.
The Arkle is a novice chase which is run over the minimum distance of two miles.
The race often acts as steppingstone in the route to the Supreme next year. Shishkin, Douvan and Altior were the first Supreme winners to follow up in the Arkle since 1965.
Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins do hold an equally strong grip on the race as they account for nine of the last 12 winners. Indeed, last year they trained the 1-2-3 as El Fabiolo beat Henderson’s Jonbon and Mullins’s Saint Roi.
It is Henderson, however, who stands as the leading trainer with seven wins in the race. In 2020, Henry de Bromhead’s Put the Kettle On became the first Mare to win the race since 1980.
Arkle Novices’ Chase Betting
| Horse | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Gaelic Warrior | 33.56% |
| Quilixios | 13.12% |
| Il Etait Temps | 9.86% |
| Hunters Yarn | 9.66% |
| JPR One | 9.51% |
This isn’t the strongest race of the week and with most of the horses at odds above 6/1 it seems wide open.
However Gaelic Warrior appears to be the star of the race despite his disappointing effort at the Dublin racing Festival when unseated at the last as he was well beaten.
There are doubts he was at his best in that race and clearly it hasn’t faltered the confidence of bettors as he takes 33% of bets for the Arkle since declaration’s were made on Sunday. He has been established as a favourite at a best price of 2/1.
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